Int’l Coalition Forces Cordon Tanf Base, Amid Divisions in Ranks of Jaysh Maghawir Al-Thawra

A photo distributed by the international coalition to celebrate the appointment of Colonel Farid al-Qassem as the new leader of the Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra armed faction at al-Tanf base on Sunday, October 2, 2022. (International Coalition)
A photo distributed by the international coalition to celebrate the appointment of Colonel Farid al-Qassem as the new leader of the Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra armed faction at al-Tanf base on Sunday, October 2, 2022. (International Coalition)
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Int’l Coalition Forces Cordon Tanf Base, Amid Divisions in Ranks of Jaysh Maghawir Al-Thawra

A photo distributed by the international coalition to celebrate the appointment of Colonel Farid al-Qassem as the new leader of the Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra armed faction at al-Tanf base on Sunday, October 2, 2022. (International Coalition)
A photo distributed by the international coalition to celebrate the appointment of Colonel Farid al-Qassem as the new leader of the Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra armed faction at al-Tanf base on Sunday, October 2, 2022. (International Coalition)

The international coalition forces cordoned off Tanf base in the 55-kilometer deconfliction zone and ordered, via loudspeakers, all fighters, except their forces in the base, to leave without weapons, amid coalition aircraft flights over the area, a war monitor reported on Monday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had previously revealed that international coalition forces announced Farid Hossam al-Qassem as the new head of Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra.

This comes amid a dispute among the faction members in the zone over assigning Qassem to his new post.

Members of Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra, some leaders who rejected Qassem’s appointment and some civil protestors are present at the base.

The international coalition announced on Sunday Qassem’s appointment, replacing Colonel Muhanad al-Tallaa.

However, the faction’s military council immediately announced its rejection of the decision, stressing in a statement that it rejects any foreign intervention in the appointment of its revolutionary leadership.

It further made it clear that Qassem does not belong to Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra faction.

The SOHR reported Monday that protests continue near Tanf base against the coalition’s appointment decision.

Its sources reported several protests in the past few days staged by dozens of civilians and combatants of the armed faction near the coalition’s base that is stationed near the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border triangle in the 55-kilometer deconfliction zone in the Syrian desert.

On the other hand, a large number of civilians and faction members supported the coalition’s decision and rejected reappointing Tallaa, whom they accused of “being involved in many corruption cases.”

On September 29, SOHR sources reported that dozens of residents gathered near Tanf base to protest the coalition’s decision and called on its command to appoint any other officer from the faction instead of Qassem.

On September 27, the war monitor quoted sources as saying that an international Coalition warplane flew over Tanf garrison and broke the sound barrier to disperse the protestors as they approached the base, where US and other Western forces are deployed.



Death Toll in Gaza from Israel-Hamas War Passes 44,000

A Palestinian man reacts as he carries a young victim inside the Kamal Adwan hospital following an Israeli strike that hit an area near the medical establishment in Beit Layia in the northern Gaza Strip early on November 21, 2024, reportedly leaving dozens of people killed or unaccounted for. (Photo by AFP)
A Palestinian man reacts as he carries a young victim inside the Kamal Adwan hospital following an Israeli strike that hit an area near the medical establishment in Beit Layia in the northern Gaza Strip early on November 21, 2024, reportedly leaving dozens of people killed or unaccounted for. (Photo by AFP)
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Death Toll in Gaza from Israel-Hamas War Passes 44,000

A Palestinian man reacts as he carries a young victim inside the Kamal Adwan hospital following an Israeli strike that hit an area near the medical establishment in Beit Layia in the northern Gaza Strip early on November 21, 2024, reportedly leaving dozens of people killed or unaccounted for. (Photo by AFP)
A Palestinian man reacts as he carries a young victim inside the Kamal Adwan hospital following an Israeli strike that hit an area near the medical establishment in Beit Layia in the northern Gaza Strip early on November 21, 2024, reportedly leaving dozens of people killed or unaccounted for. (Photo by AFP)

The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday.
The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The Health Ministry said 44,056 people have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are buried under rubble or in areas that medics cannot access, The Associated Press said.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year.
In Lebanon, the death toll from Israeli strikes and combat has surpassed 3,580 people, with more than 15,000 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. At least 51 people were killed Thursday in Israeli strikes on towns and villages across Lebanon.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused heavy destruction across wide areas of the coastal territory, leading many to wonder when or how it will ever be rebuilt. Around 90% of the population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are living in squalid tent camps with little food, water or basic services.
Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in residential areas, where they have built tunnels, rocket launchers and other military infrastructure.
Palestinian officials and rights groups accuse Israeli forces of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the United Nations’ top court is considering allegations of genocide brought by South Africa. The Israeli government adamantly denies the allegations, accusing critics of being biased against it.
In recent weeks, the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza has plummeted, prompting the United States to threaten to reduce its military support for Israel before backing down, citing limited progress. Experts have warned that isolated, war-ravaged northern Gaza could already be experiencing famine.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar spent months trying to broker a cease-fire agreement in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war. Those talks ground to a halt over the summer, with Israel and Hamas each accusing the other of making unacceptable demands.
US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the wars in the Middle East without saying how. His previous administration gave unprecedented support to Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line policies toward the Palestinians.