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.
