The five biggest Free Syrian Army groups operating in eastern Syria issued a statement announcing they were merging together into one operations room and a joint political committee to cope with the latest developments in the province of Deir Ezzor.
According to the statement, Jaish Maghawir Al-Thawra, Jaish Ousoud Alsharqiya, Ahrar Alsharqiya Union, Jaish Alsharqiya, and Liwaa’ Deir Ezzor agreed to form a joint military operations room under the command of Brigadier General Ahmed Jadiea.
The statement added that a political committee would be formed under the chairmanship of Talas Salama with Munir al-Sayal as his deputy. The joint political committee and military operations room will set up an organizational structure and would lay out internal regulations as soon as possible. Decisions made by the will come into effect from the date of issuance of the statement.
Spokesman for the Eastern Region Conglomerate, Hammad al-Assaad told Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper that the merger came through a popular proposal by the people of the provinces of Hasaka and Deir Ezzor.
Al-Assaad said that the new group would form the nucleus of a national army, pointing out that these groups today form the backbone of the Free Syrian Army.
The merger will help restore the situation in the Euphrates valley to the status quo ante that prevailed prior to ISIS’s capture of the area and its campaign of terror against the people and rebel fighters who participated in the revolution against the Assad regime. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Al-Quds Al-Arabi)
