Raed al-Arab

Raed al-Arab, better known by his kunya Abu Arab (Arabic: أبو عرب) is a Syrian military officer who serves as the commander of the 118th Division of the Syrian Army.^[1] He was a rebel commander during the Syrian civil war, rising through the ranks in the Badia Division of Turkish-backed opposition forces until being incorporated into the new Syrian military structure following the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024.

Raed al-Arab
Native name	رائد العرب
Nickname	Abu Arab
Born	al-Sukhnah, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
Allegiance	Ba'athist Syria (late 1990s - 2011) Syrian opposition (2010s - 2024) Syria (2024 - present)
Branch	Syrian Arab Army (late 1990s - 2011) Free Syrian Army & Syrian National Army (2010s - 2025) Syrian Army (since 2025)
Years of service	late 1990s - present
Rank	Colonel (Syrian Arab Army) Brigadier General (Syrian Army)
Commands	Suqour al-Sham Brigades Liberation and Construction Movement (SNA) 118th Division (Syrian Army)
Battles / wars	Syrian civil war Western Syria clashes

Early life

Raed al-Arab was born in al-Sukhnah, a town in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate near Palmyra.^[2][3] Little is publicly known about his early life or education prior to his military involvement.

Military career

Syrian civil war

Al-Arab initially served as an officer in the Syrian Arab Army under the Assad regime before defecting to join the opposition forces early in the Syrian civil war.^[1] He emerged as a leader in the rebel-held areas of eastern Syria, particularly in the Deir ez-Zor region.

By the mid-2010s, al-Arab had taken command of the Suqour al-Sham Brigade, a faction operating in the Tabqa (Al-Tabqah) region along the Euphrates River. Under his leadership, the brigade participated in operations against regime forces and affiliated militias, including securing territory in the Syrian Desert (a.k.a Badia). In 2023, the brigade faced internal challenges, including defections to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which al-Arab attributed to strategic necessities driven by external pressures, such as those from Turkey.^[1] Despite these shifts, al-Arab maintained a pragmatic approach, emphasizing unity within the broader revolutionary framework.

The Suqour al-Sham Brigade later aligned with the Syrian National Army (SNA), a Turkish-backed coalition, and expanded its control over the Badia region through the establishment of the "Badia Division" under the Defense Ministry of the Syrian Interim Government.

Post-Assad appointments

Following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, al-Arab was appointed as a brigadier general in the restructured Syrian Armed Forces. In early 2025, he was named commander of the Tank Division within the Ministry of Defense, with his headquarters in the Farqlas area of eastern Homs Governorate.^[1] Concurrently, he retained command of the Badia Division, tasked with operations in Palmyra and surrounding desert areas. His units are primarily responsible for countering remnants of the Islamic State in the Syrian Desert and securing key transportation routes linking eastern Syria to the interior.^[1][3]

Al-Arab's appointments reflect the HTS-led transitional government's strategy of integrating experienced former opposition commanders into senior roles, prioritizing loyalty and operational expertise in stabilizing the new regime.^[1]