Al-Tanf

The US base in Syria, near the settlement of Al-Tanf

Al-Tanf (arab. التَنْف‎) is a military base of the U.S.-led coalition. It is located in 23 km to the southwest from Al-Tanf, Homs. The base was founded between April and May, 2017 by the U.S. security services and it is widely used by their western and Middle East allies to train the “soft opposition” representatives.

Under the veil of fighting the terrorist organization ISIL the US contingent is acting in Syria without UN authority having claimed the territory of training camps a no-fly zone, with a radius of 55 km.

Trainers and training process

In the territory of training camps everyday military trainings are held. They are organized by foreign security services for Syrian armed opposition groups.

To date the number of trainers in Al-Tanf has been increased and now it constitutes about 600 American, British and Norwegian servicemen and representatives of Jordanian special services.

The personnel conduct training on tactics, map terrain association and navigational aids handling. Also, the curriculum includes firearms and medical training, military mining, training for observer-shooter teams and raiding forces. Training time depends on the initial level of skills; the training period lasts from several months to a year. After the training is complete trainees take final tests.

Armed gangs

In 2017 Jaysh Suriyah al-Jadid group (the New Syrian Army) arrived to Al-Tanf from Jordan. It consisted of 120-150 people and was formed in May, 2015. In 2016 the Revolutionary Commando Army was renamed Jaysh Maghawir As-Saura or Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra (the Revolutionary Commando Army).

Later the composition of the U.S. base was expanded to include Quwwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-Abdo (the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo), Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya (The Lions of the East Army), Liwa Shuhada al-Qaratayn (The Martyrs of al-Qaratayn Brigade). At the moment there are about 1700 rebels of “soft opposition”. At the same time, modernized infrastructure of pivots allows to station 3000 armed fighters.

The New Syrian Army (Jaysh Suriyah al-Jadid)

A coalition of different groups that joined in May 2015. The U.S. and Islamic monarchies of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan directly participated in creating The New Syrian Army.

The declared objective of the groups formed in Jordan was to fight against Asad and the IS organization.

At the same time the NSA conducted no active warfare against the IS. It cotrolled road sections from Iraq through the southern part of the Syrian Desert.

The Revolutionary Commando Army (Jaysh Maghawir As-Saura or Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra)

In January 2017 the New Syrian Army changed its name to Jaysh Maghawir As-Saura or Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra. The creation of the group supported by American, British and Jordanian security services became known in the spring of 2017. The group’s objectives stayed the same: to confront the Government Forces. It is the most influential and powerful group in Al-Tanf. Some media sources believe that Jaysh Maghawir As-Saura unlike the NSA functions as the U.S. special ops unit in Syria[8].

At the moment Jaysh Maghawir As-Saura is under command of ex-lieutenant colonel of the Armed Forces of Syria Mohannad al-Talaa.

Before the IS invaded Syria the future defector was the leader of the oppositional Revolutionary Council of Deir ez-Zor. Also he headed the NSA in 2015-2017.

The exact number of militants in Jaysh Maghawir As-Saura remains unknown. In 2015 120-150 people came from Jordan to Al-Tanf base. This number may have increased up to 1000-1500 by today.

The armed gang possesses artillery pieces, 60, 81 and 120mm mortars, foreign made small arms equipped with night sights; off-road cars Toyota Hilux, Hamvee equipped with heavy machineguns, MANPADS, American Hammers. TO evacuate injured men to the territory of Jordan and to airlift terrorists the U.S. helicopters are often used.

Equipment and ammunition of this group distinguishes it from other groups in Al-Tanf base.

The Lions of the East Army (Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya)

The group is headed by Tlass al-Salama (Abu Faisal). The reel group was formed in 2014 and consists mainly of al-Shaitat tribesmen (eastern Syria). Al-Shaitat was a part of different antigovernment groups.

The rebel group confronted “Iraqi expansion” and disapproved the pro-Iranian position of Damascus. 

The Lions were defeated by the IS near Deir ez-Zor and Abu Kamal. Then they moved to Damascus Province and joined the Jaysh al-Islam.

 After that leaders of the Lions declared their joining to the NSA and had military clashes both with the Government forces near the borders of the Syrian Desert and with the IS squads.

In October 2017 the group moved to the 55 km no-fly zone in Al-Tanf region together with their families. Here, in 800km from the Syrian-Jordanian border they set up a new camp for the Lions and Quwwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-Abdo and their relatives, near the refugee camp. According to Arabian media, now there are around 10 000 people in the camp.

It is known that the rebels have some hand-made MLRS, pickups with heavy weapons, MANPADS.

Quwwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-Abdo (the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo)

In the beginning of 2017 the group consisted of 2 000 people (500 soldiers and 30 officers who defected from the Syrian Army. They had a T55 tank, two remanufactured T62 tanks, some MLRS, Tow and Kornet anti-tank systems from Qatar.

Up to March 2016 the main part of the group was located in Eastern Qalamun Mountains and in the settlements of Al-Dumayr and Ruheiba in Damascus Province.

In March 2016 some squads moved to the region of Al-Tand and joined the pro-American NSA.

Liwa Shuhada al-Qaratayn (The Martyrs of al-Qaratayn Brigade)

The brigade is headed by the ex-captain of the Syrian Army Ahmad Al-Tamer. It is an opposition movement that consists of civilians of eastern Homs who escaped to the region of Al-Tanf in 2014-2015.

Then the Martyrs Brigade conducted operation against the Government Forces and the IS in Eastern Qalamun and the Syrian Desert.

Equipment

In order to better and centralize the control system the base is divided into sectors. Each group has its separate territory, which prevents clashes between armed gangs.

Defections occur in the base. The site of an American channel cited the representative of the US-led coalition Ryan Dillon who said that there are only isolated incidents of escapes, though deserters try to persuade other fighters to escape and to join the Government Forces. According to Ryan Dillon, “these efforts turn to be not very successful”.

According to CNN, the defectors are separate rebels from Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra group that is loyal to the US government. Previously the American channel informed that Liwa Shuhada al-Qaratayn group denied the US support and refused to maintain joint operations in Syria.

Employment of military force in Syria

In the territory of the base there are heavy weapons and rocket artillery including unmanned armored vehicles and the U.S. Army’s M142 high mobility artillery rocket systems HIMARS. The exact number of equipment located in Al-Tanf is unknown.

The area of the U.S. base is watched by American unmanned aerial vehicles and army escorts 24 hours a day.

The aviation of the U.S.-led coalition attacked the Government Forces that appeared near the training camps twice – in May and June, 2017. After that flyers were spread in 55 km zone around the base that warned from warned not to approach Al-Tanf.

According to some Arabic media, the units of Bashar Asad’s Army had no intention of attacking the American base.

Besides, June 20, 2017, the U.S. F-15E fighter shot down an unmanned plane Shahed 129 belonging to the the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). According to the U.S., it threatened the security of the base personnel.

References in the media

The Russian media has repeatedly informed referring to diplomatic sources that the U.S. combatants are ready to leave the territory in the region of Al-Tanf. But the American party has not specified the period of time in which the base would be eliminated.

Previously the U.S. administration reported the suspension of the CIA program for equipment and training of Syrian rebel groups that are fighting against Bashar Asad’s government.

Also in the media there are announcements that disprove the readiness of the U.S. to leave the training base in Al-Tanf. The representative of the Atlantic Resolve operation headquarters claimed that training helps such groups as Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra fight the IS terrorist organization.

On the other hand, according to the media sources, the emergence of the U.S. base is not connected with the IS elimination. According to the source “EADaily”, the operation against the terrorists in the south of Syrian is not the only objective of Washington, London and Amman. Military presence of foreign security services provides resistance to Iraqi military units and Asad’s regime.

In his interview to The Washington Post the king of Jordan Abdullah II said that the allies are in 70 km from the Kingdom borders and “There is an attempt to forge a geographic link between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah/Lebanon… to have power there”.

It may mean that, over time, the south regions of Syria may transform into the American area of influence and weaken Bashar Asad’s position.