A new group has emerged in North Eastern Syria that consists of two former groups: Sulayman Shah and Hamzaat. These two groups were led by Abu ‘Amsha and Saif Abu Bakr. The two groups now make up one under the name “Faylaq Thaanee”. Faylaq Thaanee is led by Fahim Esa whom is a known figure in the Syrian territories.
The notorious histories of Abu ‘Amsha and Saif Abu Bakr has cast a shadow on the merger. Both of these individuals fought alongside and supported HTS’ strongman Abu Muhammad Jolani’s power grab attempt last month that resulted in the reported deaths of more than 200 of his fighters. While HTS did succeed militarily in cutting their pathway from Idlib to Azaz through the Turkish backed groups, ultimately they were made to return to their original positions by Turkish authorities. This caused a big stir in the ranks of Jolani’s forces as his credibility was damaged in the process in his fighter’s eyes.
