Adham al-Akrad
Adham al-Akrad | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1974 Daraa, Syria |
| Died | 14 October 2020 (aged 45–46)[1] Tubna, Syria[2] |
| Allegiance |  Free Syrian Army |
| Service | Southern Front |
| Commands | Engineering and Missiles Regiment |
Adham al-Akrad, also known by his kunya Abu Qusay (1974 – 14 October 2020), was a Syrian rebel leader in Daraa Governorate during the Syrian revolution. He agreed to a settlement with the government after the governorate came under the Syrian army's control in 2018.
Al-Akrad was a strong critic of the regime and the Iranian presence in the south. He was killed on his way to or on his way from a meeting in Damascus in October 2020.
Life
[edit]He served as the head of the Engineering and Missile Battalion and was also part of the al-Bunyan al-Marsous Operations Room.[3]
He reconciled with the Syrian government in 2018. His car was unsuccessfully targeted by an IED in September 2019, as it was unoccupied.[3]
He met with local leaders in Daraa in January 2020 and was one of the signatories of a "nine-point" document for the Syrian government regarding "arrests and disappearances, local autonomy and the fate of detainees."[4]
He expressed regret over the reconciliation in a July 2020 interview, stating that portions of the agreed-upon settlement with the Russians were not completed and that after more than two years following the settlements, "the arrests and assassinations had doubled."[5]
He was a member of the Central Committees.[6] Nonetheless, he attempted to persuade Daraa residents from allying with the regime during battles in Idlib and Hama.[2] He also emphasized his support for the revolution.[7]
Personal life
[edit]He was living in the United Arab Emirates before the start of the Syrian civil uprising in March 2011.[8][9]
Death
[edit]He was killed on 14 October 2020[1] in the city of Tubna on the orders of Wassim Al-Zarqan, who was a military official in the Assad regime,[2] while al-Akrad was on his way to[10] or from Damascus, in order to negotiate the returning of bodies of dead FSA fighters.[11]
Al-Zarqan, also a former opposition fighter who settled with the government in 2018, was killed in April 2023.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "On Assad Regime's Assassination of Former FSA Commanders in Dara'a Province". National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Military Security Leader in Daraa Killed with Accusation of Adham al-Krad Assassination". Levant24. 9 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Adham Al-Karad: Leader From Daraa Pursuing His 'Revolution' Under Russian Settlement Wing". Enab Baladi. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Tom Rollins (26 January 2020). "Tensions in Syria's Daraa are getting out of hand". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ "Free Syrian Army: We Were Deceived by Settlements in Southern Syria". The New Arab. Syrian Observer. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Ali Darwish (19 October 2020). "Reasons behind central committees' targeting in Daraa". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ "The implications and repercussions of the assassination of Adham al-Karrad on Southern Syria". Jusoor for Studies. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ "اغتيال خمسة قياديين سابقين في الفصائل المحلية، أبرزهم "أدهم الكراد" | درعا 24: الواقع كما هو". daraa24.org (in Arabic). 14 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "أدهم الأكراد.. مسيرته الثورية وأبرز مواقفه". Halab Today (in Arabic). 15 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "من هو "أدهم الكراد" القيادي في الجيش الحر الذي اغتاله النظام اليوم؟". Jesr Press (in Arabic). 14 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "Damascus Accused of Assassinating Figures of Russian Settlement in South Syria". Asharq Al-Awsat. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Government forces commander killed in Syria's Daraa". North Press Agency. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2025.