Field testimonies and documents have revealed a complex network of military and economic coordination that lasted for years between the ousted Assad regime and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This coordination began as a joint operations room to suppress the opposition and ended with deals to manage resources and protect remnants of the old regime after the fall of Damascus.
Joint Operations Rooms and Their Origins
Information indicates that the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the core of the SDF, operated as a auxiliary force for the security apparatus of the former regime since 2011.
Sipan Hamo, who was later appointed Deputy Minister of Defense in the new Syria, assumed overall command of these units. He received weapons and instructions directly from the National Security Bureau in Damascus, under the supervision of Major General Ali Mamlouk.
The former regime relied on security leaders in Hasakah to implement this coordination, most notably:
- Brigadier General Taysir Wasel: Former head of the security committee.
- Brigadier General Ali Diab: Head of the Military Security Branch in Qamishli.
Strategic Shift and “Handover” Deals
Despite the tension that strained relations in 2014 with the entry of the international coalition into the fight against ISIS, logistical coordination never ceased.
According to informed sources, the former regime handed over security sites, oil fields, and airports to Kurdish units without a fight, in a strategic move aimed at pressuring Turkey and easing the military burden on Damascus.
The handovers included weapons depots belonging to the Tartab Regiment and the Fifth Regiment, which were received by SDF commanders, including Abdul Aziz Younes and Ismail Rasho.
The War Economy: Oil for “Ilyushin” Aircraft
Economic cooperation continued through commercial and security channels to manage the oil and wheat sectors:
1. Sales Channels: Heval Ali Shir (an Iranian national) managed the oil file on behalf of the SDF, selling crude oil to the regime through businessman Hossam Qaterji and his partner Fouad Hasari.
2. Financial Transfers: Military Ilyushin aircraft transported cash from Damascus to Qamishli Airport to pay for oil shipments.
3. Reciprocal Medical Treatment: Damascus military hospitals regularly received wounded and SDF commanders via flights coordinated by the National Security Bureau.
Infiltration of Institutions and Buying of Loyalties
The SDF pursued a policy of "nibbling away at territory" within security zones by co-opting senior officials. Reports confirm that former governors of Hasakah, including Major General Jayez al-Moussa and Major General Ghassan Khalil, were involved in facilitating the SDF's control over residential neighborhoods (such as the Tayy neighborhood in Qamishli) in exchange for money, while field clashes were staged to appease public opinion.
The Fate of the Remnants After the Fall
Following the collapse of the former regime, reports indicated that a large number of officers and personnel joined the ranks of the SDF. Commanders from the Kawkab and Tartab Regiments, along with Brigadier General Abdul Wahab Muhammad, head of the Military Security Department in Hasakah, joined the forces in Raqqa and Qamishli.
The SDF has settled the families of defecting security officers in military housing in the al-Gharbiya neighborhood of Qamishli, reflecting a shift in combat doctrine.
Ahmed al-Obeid - Zaman al-Wasl, Detainees Initiative
Zaman Al Wasl
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