Malhama Tactical

Malhama Tactical is a private military contractor operating in the Syrian Civil War.[1] The group, founded by a pseudonymous Uzbeki jihadist called Abu Rofiq,[1] is closely allied with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and its successor group Tahrir al-Sham.[2] Its six to ten members occasionally participate in combat and run guns, but primarily provide high-quality training.[1] The company is known to have worked with Ahrar al-Sham and the Turkistan Islamic Party.[1] Its leader Abu Rofiq was killed in an airstrike on 7 February 2017.[3]

History

The company was founded in 2015 and came to prominence in early 2017.[2] However according to the Twitter account of the current leader of Malhama Tactical, Abu Salman Belarus, the group has been active since 2013 in what he has described as "emergency aid on the battlefield."[4] They have been noted for their prolific and successful use of social media to advertise their services.[2] Malhama Tactical is active in the Idlib-Aleppo region[2] and participated in the successful attack on Ramouseh Artillery Base.[5] Fighters are noted to be considerably better-trained than other Syrian fighters, although not as good as Western soldiers, and to be very well-equipped.[6] They are well trained in medical care, which allows them to reduce their casualties.[7]

In May and July 2017, Malhama Tactical conducted raids against government forces in the western Aleppo Governorate alongside Ajnad al-Kavkaz.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Blackwater of Jihad".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Malhama Tactical (JFS /Conquest of al-Sham Front) - Terrorist Groups - TRAC".
  3. ↑ Unknown airstrike kills elite Nusra’s squad leader in Idlib
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20180921025929/https:/twitter.com/SalmanBelarus?lang=en
  5. ↑ "Self-Proclaimed "Jihadi Consulting Firm" Operates in Syria (Photos, Videos)". 5 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Malhama Tactical, The Fanatics Tactical Guru! - The Firearm Blog". 12 December 2016.
  7. ↑ Ivan Lapkin. "Unknown airstrike kills elite Nusra's squad leader in Idlib". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  8. ↑ Neil Hauer (19 April 2018). "North Caucasian Militants May Be Seeking Syria Exit". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 13 August 2018.


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