The 943rd Rescue Group had to use night vision goggles to rescue a severely injured hiker. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/Released)
The United States-led coalition captured a member of ISIS during a helicopter raid in the heart of Syria, only to release him later with mortal wounds after finding out that he recently became a local official working with the country’s new Islamists-led government.
The news of the capture of Ahmed Abdullah Al-Masoud al-Badri spread quickly on social media after the raid, which took place in the town of al-Dumayr, some 40 kilometers to the northeast of Damascus, on October 18.
The raid was reportedly carried out by U.S. special forces and the Syrian Free Army (SFA). The group announced it was merging into the new Syrian military shortly after the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad. However, it continues to operate in the area of al-Tanf under the direct command of the U.S.-led coalition.
Syrian pro-government activists initially cheered for the “joint raid,” with U.S. special envoy to the country Tom Barrack even commenting on the news by writing “Syria is back to our side” on his official X account.
Al-Badri’s history as a member of ISIS is well known. His wife is reported to be the sister of Ibrahim Al-Naqrash, a senior commander of the terrorist group.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Despite this, he returned to al-Dumayr to work as a local official, or a “Sheikh,” with the government right after the fall of the Assad regime. This emerged shortly after his capture by the U.S.-led coalition. A photo showing him weeks earlier escorting Deputy Governor of Rif Dimashq, Mohammed Al-Amer, on a tour in al-Dumayr even surfaced online.
The exact details of his work with the government remain unclear, but appear to be related to the General Security Service, which is the country’s national police service, or the General Intelligence Service.
Once the information of al-Badri’s affiliation with the government spread everywhere, he was released by the U.S.-led coalition. He was, however, badly wounded. Apparently he resisted arrest and fired at U.S. special forces who shot back, hitting him. Another member of ISIS was reportedly killed at the time. On October 20, it was reported that he succumbed to his wound in a hospital near Damascus.
To justify the whole ordeal, some pro-government activists alleged that al-Badri was spying on ISIS for Syrian security forces and was framed by the SFA as a result of an old disagreement. Of course, none of these justifications makes any sense. What is more likely is that the man was simply a coordinator, or a liaison officer, between the government and the terrorist group.
Both the Syrian government and the U.S.-led coalition ignored the death of al-Badri. However, tensions were reported in al-Dumayr.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Al-Badri’s links to both ISIS and the government are not surprising. The now-dissolved Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham which overthrew the Assad regime in December and formed the government is itself an offshoot of ISIS and shares almost the same general ideology of the terrorist group.
The curious case of al-Badri confirms that ISIS members are infiltrating the Syrian government. It also shows that the new Syrian military has been unified yet, as some groups like the SFA are clearly not operating under its command.
More importantly, this case reveals that the U.S. is not really coordinating its operations in Syria with the government of the country, despite attempts by senior officials from both sides to portray an image of an emerging “alliance” between the two sides. It is clear that neither side trusts the other, especially when it comes to counter-terrorism issues.
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the us released him because he’s probably an israeli.
exactly hes a israeli asset that is serving israels interests in syria at the expense of the syrian people
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whoa…haha, could you imagine if isis was just a us backed terrorist group designed to further destabilize the middle east to pave the way for israel’s territorial expansion? that would be crazy.
the war on terror was a hoax from day one. the cia organized al qaeda through operation timber sycamore to overthrow the freeist, most representative government in the mideast. we overthrew president assad and his legitimately elected constitutional government and replaced it by the al qaeda terrorists led by mohammad al jawlani, a leader of mass rapists and beheaders responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths.
syria is irrelevant. whatever they may have gained in syria is peanuts compared to the mineral, agricultural and energy riches russia is about to secure from trump and the nato losers once they finally surrender and crimea kherson, zaporizhzia, luhansk, and all of donetsk officially become part of russia in perpetuity.