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Algerian Army Rejects Constitutional Amendment on Foreign Military Operations

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during the funeral of Algeria's military chief Lieutenant general Ahmed Gaed Salah in Algiers, Algeria (Reuters)
Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during the funeral of Algeria's military chief Lieutenant general Ahmed Gaed Salah in Algiers, Algeria (Reuters)
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Algerian Army Rejects Constitutional Amendment on Foreign Military Operations

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during the funeral of Algeria's military chief Lieutenant general Ahmed Gaed Salah in Algiers, Algeria (Reuters)
Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during the funeral of Algeria's military chief Lieutenant general Ahmed Gaed Salah in Algiers, Algeria (Reuters)

The Algerian army rejected the constitutional amendment, to be submitted for a referendum in two months, that would allow the military establishment to participate in operations outside the country to restore peace.

The army command suggested replacing the term “restoring peace” with “peacekeeping,” which observers interpreted as the military leadership’s rejection to involve the army in possible battles on foreign territories.

It proposed amending the article relating to this issue so that the mission is peacekeeping, within the framework of the principles and objectives of the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League.

The Ministry of National Defense submitted its remarks on the amendments to the presidency, knowing that the draft constitutional reforms have been approved by the National Assembly with 256 of the 462 members present.

The military establishment stressed that the participation of army units abroad may have consequences in terms of time and capabilities, which Algeria may not be able to control.

The army command also suggested the abolition of a paragraph in the constitution's preamble that indicates “the people's cohesion with the army during the February 22, 2019 movement.”

The command based its proposal on the fact that the army is “indivisible”, carrying out its constitutional and republican tasks, and has a close relationship with the people within the framework of national solidarity and cohesion.

They also suggested adding a statement to the articles stipulating “the People's National Army, defends the vital and strategic interests of the country in all circumstances.”

Initially, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune suggested that military units be sent abroad upon his orders and the approval of two-thirds of the parliament.

According to the Algerian constitution, the President is the minister of defense and the supreme commander of the armed forces. But in practice, the body that makes the decisions regarding the army is the command of its staff and the military intelligence, the backbone of the political system.

Since its independence in 1962, Algeria banned the participation of its forces in military missions outside the borders.

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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).

The Syrian Military Operations Administration has been pressing its security campaigns aimed at disarming former regime militia remnants and combating drug traffickers across Syria.

On Tuesday, for the third time, the administration, in collaboration with the General Security Directorate, launched a large-scale operation in western rural Homs. The campaign focused on the villages of Jabbourin Rafain, Al-Haysa, Jabbourin, Qaniyat Al-Assi, Tasnin, Kafrnan, Akrad Al-Dasniya, and their surroundings. Simultaneous campaigns were conducted in Aleppo’s Nairab district, Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, and northern Daraa.

Security sources said the operation in rural Homs targets “remnants of Assad militias who refused to surrender their weapons, arms depots, drug dealers, and traffickers,” according to an official statement from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Military reinforcements were dispatched to support the campaign in the targeted areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the operation in the village of Jabbourin in rural Hama marked the second such operation within a week. The observatory noted that several civilians and military personnel, including those who had reconciled with the government, were arrested. Some detainees were later released, while others remain under investigation.

Residents in rural Homs expressed significant concern about the proliferation of weapons, incidents of abductions, and the escalating fear of retribution. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, they noted a prevailing sense of unease and insecurity, as anonymous actors exploit the current chaos to fuel tensions and instability.

The General Security Directorate in Homs has urged residents in western rural Homs villages and towns to fully cooperate with its forces and the Military Operations Administration to ensure the success of the campaign’s objectives.

In Daraa, southern Syria, the Daraa 24 network reported that the General Security Directorate carried out a raid in the city of Izraa, north of Daraa. During the operation, large quantities of weapons were seized, and warnings were issued to individuals still in possession of firearms to surrender them “to preserve the region’s security and stability.”

An earlier security operation in the Lajat region, located between the Suwayda and Daraa governorates, resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals described as former regime remnants, drug traffickers, and arms dealers. The Syrian Interior Ministry also announced the arrest of “remnant elements and members of a gang involved in the theft of weapons from a warehouse in the Mazraa project area of Damascus.”

Meanwhile, the General Security Directorate released several former regime elements in Damascus after verifying their lack of involvement in violations against the Syrian people. According to local sources cited by Syrian Television, several conscripts detained in Adra Prison in Damascus were freed on Tuesday, with additional releases expected in the coming days.

Last week, the General Security Directorate released 360 detainees, including former regime officers, out of approximately 800 people arrested as part of the Homs security campaign. Following investigations, the authorities confirmed that those individuals were not in possession of weapons and had pledged not to engage in activities against the new Syrian administration.