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Database: over 40 former ISIS members now part of Turkish-backed forces          

آواتودی: ترکیە حامی اصلی داعش یا عضو ائتلاف بین المللی بە رھبری آمریکا!؟
posted onAugust 10, 2019
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RIC, Rojava Information Center

Over 40 former ISIS members now working in Afrin as part of Turkish-backed forces have been identified in a new database, published today by Rojava Information Center.

They include commanders, brigade leaders, recruiting officers and co-ordinators working directly with the Turkish intelligence services. The database includes their role under ISIS, their new role as part of Turkish-backed jihadist forces in the Afrin region, their current location, biographical information, and in some instances photographs of the individuals in question.

Some names and photos were obtained by Rojava Information Center and OSINT researchers following opposition Telegram channels in Afrin, others were provided by the Foreign Relations Bureau of North East Syria, and others identified in research presented at the International Forum on ISIS.

Names included in the database include: Isma’il Firas al-‘Abbar, who was an ISIS commander in Deir-ez-Zor before becoming a Turkish-backed brigade leader in Afrin; Basil Nayef al-Shehab, who fought against YPG with ISIS in Kobane before becoming a commander in the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad brigade and participating in the occupation of Afrin: and Abu al-Baraa al-Ansari, an ISIS commander in Deir-ez-Zor who is now a commander of Turkish-backed militia Ahrar al-Sharqiya.

Across Afrin, groups like Ahrar al-Sharqiya and the Sultan Murad Brigade are imposing sharia law, and engaging in extortion, kidnapping, murder, torture, rape, and gender-based violence, in actions possibly amounting to war crimes per the United Nations. You can see our report here for more information about the atrocities being committed by these jihadist militias, and the depth of Turkish state support for their actions.

Rojava Information Center researcher Joan Garcia says: This database shows just a fraction of the depth and extent of Turkish collusion with ISIS. Multiple prominent ISIS commanders and fighters are now operating openly as commanders in militias funded, armed, trained and controlled by Turkey.

Some of these individuals work in direct cooperation with the Turkish intelligence services (MIT), and all are part of a chain of command reaching directly to Ankara and president Reccep Tayip Erdogan.

Some are known to have passed through Turkey once leaving ISIS as their defeat became apparent, taking the return path on the ‘jihadist highway’ which brought tens of thousands of jihadist fighters and their families into Syria via Turkish soil, in both tacit and active collusion with the Turkish state. In name, Turkey is a part of the International Coalition against ISIS. In reality, it is a state sponsor of terrorism funding and backing tens of thousands of jihadi fighters, including many with direct links to ISIS.”

 

 

 

Name AKA Village Town/region Birth year Family info Role under ISIS Role in Turkish-backed militias Current location Notes Pictured?
Isma'il Firas al-'Abbar   Sabikhan Deir-ez-Zpr 1983   Commander in Subikhan, Deir-ez-Zor Brigade leader of Turkish backed militia, participated in invasion and occupation Afrin Travelled from ISIS to Afrin via Turkey  
Basil Nayef al-Shehab Abu Zeid al-Tai Qotorba Tel Hamis     Fought against YPG in Kobane and Manbij Commander in Sultan Murad Division, participated in Turkish invasion and occupation of Afrin Afrin/Al-Bab First an Al-Nusra member, subsequently joined ISIS. Injured in Manbij, taken to Mosul for an operation Y
Shawkat Khawaja Samawi   Shiyokh Deir ez-Zor 1968   Married to a Kurdish woman from the Majar tribe, Kobane Commander of a group of fighters in turkish-backed militia Jarabalus    
Abu al-Baraa al-Ansari     Deir ez-Zor     commander in Deir-ez-Zor Commander of Ahrar-al-Sharqiya, Turkish-backed militia Afrin Sentenced to death by Baghdadi, escaped to join Turkish-backed forces: https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/is-chief-baghdadi-orders-320-followers-to-be-killed-for-disloyalty-reports Y
Mohammed Yassin Zair   Salhabiya, Baza'a al-Bab     In co-ordination with ISIS Co-ordinates between Turkish intelligence and Turkish militias in Afrin, participated in Turkish invasion and occupation of Afrin Afrin Two brothers, Ward and Fahd, were with ISIS until the end in Deir-ez-Zor, fighting in Garanij village. They were in daily communication   
Ammar Abdul Aziz al-Abbas Abu Hamza/Battar Hermoushiya Deir-ez-Zor   Obeidat Bakara tribe member ISIS member Member of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, Turkish-backed militia in Afrin Afrin    
Abdul Qader al-Saweij   Saba'a Arbayin Shaddadi   Bu Rahmat Bakara tribe member ISIS member, water tanker driver Member of Al-Hasekah Shield brigade, Turkish-backed militia Afrin    
Mohammed Mahmoud al-Jassem   Dekan Sarin 1986 Mother: Warda ISIS member in Sarin Member of security apparatus and recruiting officer with Turkish-backed militia, has conscripted young people from Sarin and Dekan among others Jarabalus   Y
Abdullah al-Tawheed           ISIS member in al-Bab Member of Sultan Murad, Turkish-backed militia Al-Bab Pictured both during membership of ISIS and as member of Turkish-backed group Y
Ahmad Ayoub al-Hissu   Rehiya       ISIS member Official working with Turkish-backed militias Turkey    
Thamer Nawar al-Khalloufi Abu Abbas Umm Kheifa Tel Hamis     Fought in Tel Maroof, Jazaa and Al-Rihiya, moved to Shedaddi with ISIS Recruiting officer with Ajnad al-Hasakah (Soldiers of Hasekah), Turkish-backed militia Afrin First an FSA member serving under Abu Hammam, after travelled to Turkey before arriving in Afrin Y
Hamad al-Salama   al-Shiyokh al-Tahtani Deir ez-Zor     ISIS member Security chief for Turkish-backed militia dealing directly with MIT (Turkish intelligence service) Jarabalus    
Khalil Ahmed Nuri   Arishah al-Shaddadi     ISIS member in al-mayadeen, participated in attack on Abu Khashab Turkish-backed militia member Afrin Member of FSA and Al-Nusra front prior to joining ISIS  
Ammar Musa Al-Hammadi   Kayrawan Dirbasiyah     ISIS member in Raqqa Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus    
Saleh Shedadeh   Qanya Kobane 1986 Parents: Muhummad al-Ahmad and Amina Fought against YPG in Kobane, travelled to Jarabalus as ISIS member there Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus    
Bassil Hamoud al-Yassin al-Shaykan   Al-Jalaa Farm Raqqa     ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus    
Yassin Hamoud al-Yassin al-Shaykan   Al-Jalaa Farm Raqqa     ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus    
Bashar Hamoud al-Yassin al-Shaykan   Al-Jalaa Farm Raqqa     ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus    
Ahmed al-Jassem   Dekan Sarin   Mother: Warda ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus    
Shaddad Abboud al-Aqla Abu Yarub Guyiran Sere Kaniye 1987 Al-Bakaa tribe member. Mother: Sarah Abdul Aziz, from Al-Ali tribe ISIS member in al-Mayadeen Turkish-backed militia member Jarabalus At the beginning of the revolution, a prominent Free Syrian Army activist in Guyiran neighbourhood. Following agreement between FSA and Syrian regime, travelled to Al-Mayadeen and joined ISIS  
Hamad Abdullah   Samihan Tel Barak 1995   ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Afrin Also al-Nusra Front member prior to joining ISIS, fought YPG in Tel Barak, travelled to Afrin via Turkey  
Mohammed Ahmin Asyoud   Bilqis, Sagira Tel Hamis 1975 Mother's name is Naima ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Ahmed Ahmin Asyoud   Bilqis, Sagira Tel Hamis 1983 Mother's name is Naima ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Amer Suleiman al-Abdullah   Hanwha Kabira Tel Hamis 1981 Mother's name is Fawza ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Adnan Sulaiman al-Salem   Hanwha Kabira Tel Hamis 1983 Mother's name is Fawza ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Ismail Saleh al-Faihan   Hanwha Kabira Tel Hamis 1985 Mother's name is Fawza ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Thamer Nawaf al-Dahas   Umm Keif Tel Hamis 1987 Mother's name is Mahya ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Mejhem Nawaf al-Dahas   Umm Keif Tel Hamis 1983 Mother's name is Mahya ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Milhem Nawaf al-Dahas   Umm Keif Tel Hamis 1985 Mother's name is Mahya ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Nawaf Khalaf al-Dahas   Umm Keif Tel Hamis 1959 Mother's name is Shiha ISIS member in Tel Hamis Turkish-backed militia member Euphrates Shield region  
Anwar Ibrahim al-Jabbu   al-Beshira Tirbesiye 1976   ISIS member, water tanker driver Turkish-backed militia member Afrin Travelled from ISIS to Afrin via Turkey  
Omar Abu Abdullahi Omar al-Shami         ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Jindires Videoed during time with ISIS, after pictured with Turkish-backed forces Y
Hamed al-Hilu Ibn Majd al-din           ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Afrin   Y
Abu Omar'           ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Afrin   Y
Khader Jamal al-Obeid al-Furani           ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Afrin   Y
Abu Amir al-Diri           ISIS member Turkish-backed militia member Afrin    
Mahran Khalaf al-Sufi           Head of a group of Tunisian and Algerian jihadist fighters, part of ISIS’ internal security apparatus T+H14urkish-backed militia member, security apparatus Afrin    
Yousef Ali Meryamini           ISIS recruiter Working in Afrin with Turkish-backed militias, apparently recruiting Afrin Arrested in Turkey for being an ISIS member, now free and working in Afrin Y
Hussain Ahmed Dakhmli Abu Jarieh   Qabasin al-Bab     ISIS member Works with Turkish-backed militias al-Bab    
Ali Khudair Abu Dajana       Brother is the leader of al-Jahish clan, another brother named Abu Hamza al-Juhaishi ISIS member Senior lieutenant in the military police Afrin   Y
Rabi Khafajah           ISIS member working in security Smuggler Afrin   Y
Ahmad Muhammed Shabu Ibn Madiha Neirbiya Shabha   Mother's name is Madiha ISIS member responsible for seizing property from dissidents Turkish-backed militia member, known to have robbed and looted residents Afrin   Y