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Suhayl al-Hasan
Major General Suhayl al-Hasan (Arabic: سُهَيْلُ الْحَسَنِ, romanized: Suhayl al-Ḥasan; born 10 June 1970) is a former Syrian military officer, serving as the commander of the Syrian Arab Army's Special Forces. He graduated from the Syrian Air Force academy in 1991, and served in many units in the Syrian Air Defence Force Command, completing several training courses. Following his service in the Syrian Air Force and Air Defence units, he joined the Air Force Intelligence service, where he was responsible for the training of the elements of the Special Operations Section. During the Syrian Civil War, al-Hasan has served and commanded his troops during several major engagements, including Operation Canopus Star and the battle for the Shaer gas field. He is part of the new generation of field Syrian army commanders who emerged during the civil war. In 2015, French newspaper Le Monde mentioned al-Hasan as a potential rival to Assad as leader of Syria.
Al-Hasan was described by analysts as preferring Russia (as opposed to Iran) to serve as the Syrian Government's main ally during the civil war and subsequent post-war reconstruction. His position is contrasted by Maher al-Assad, brother of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and head of Syria's Republican Guard and 4th Armoured Division, who is reported as preferring Iran. After the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, Al-Hasan went into hiding.
Al-Hasan is an Alawite. He has a son that, as of November 2014, he had not seen for four years due to the Syrian civil war. Hassan's first major media appearance was a spring 2014 video filmed and posted online by the pro-government Sama TV, showing Hassan visiting troops at the front in Aleppo. He is known for liking poetry, even broadcasting his own poems over to the loudspeaker at his enemies, as a warning of what will come if they do not surrender. He says that he always tries to give a chance to his enemies to give up and surrender, but has no pity if they do not or if they betray him.
Hassan refused a promotion to become brigadier general in order to continue to lead his troops directly on the battlefield. His battle tactics have been described as utilizing a scorched earth policy followed by assaulting opposition positions with house to house raids. A Syrian military source claimed Hassan had "never lost any battles" with Syrian opposition forces, yet the second siege of Wadi Deif was seen as a personal defeat for Hassan, while the Tiger forces under Hassan's command failed to break opposition force's lines when dispatched to Idlib to counter opposition offensives in 2015.
On 25 December 2015, al-Hassan was allegedly promoted from colonel to brigadier general, though Hassan's rank was disputed. On 31 December 2022, he was promoted to major general.[citation needed] On 9 April 2024, he was appointed as Commander of the Special Forces of the Syrian Arab Army.
In 1991, al-Hasan was graduated with the rank of Lieutenant from the Homs Military College. He was quickly inducted into the Air Force Intelligence Directorate’s Special Operations Unit, where he would oversee the training and development of Syria's paratrooper contingents of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). Impressed with Hassan's work ethic and effectiveness, the Syrian Arab Army's Central Command transferred him to the Syrian Air Force Intelligence headquarters; this coincided with the rise of al-Qaeda activity from 2005 to 2006. Known to be relentless and prudent, Colonel Hassan infiltrated Al-Qaeda networks inside Syria, resulting in the arrest of a number of its members operating within the borders of the country.
In 2011, Colonel al-Hasan was transferred to the SAA's Special Forces (Qawat Al-Khassa), leading the front against Al-Qaeda in Syria—the Al-Nusra Front—on the outskirts of Latakia in 2013. His success led many in the Central Command to recommend his transfer to other fronts. He later spent his time in Hama until he was tasked with a special project by the Central Command in the fall of 2013—to train and lead a Special Forces unit that would work primarily as an offensive unit. Colonel Hassan handpicked many of the soldiers that would later form the Tiger Forces; this included his close confidant and companion, Captain Lu’ayy Al-Sleitan.
In August 2013, the strategically important city of Ariha in Idlib governorate fell to the rebels. al-Hassan led the counterattack on the town. The battle lasted 10 days, and the Syrian army, backed up by heavy airstrikes, managed to retake control of the town, expelling the rebels.
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Suhayl al-Hasan
Major General Suhayl al-Hasan (Arabic: سُهَيْلُ الْحَسَنِ, romanized: Suhayl al-Ḥasan; born 10 June 1970) is a former Syrian military officer, serving as the commander of the Syrian Arab Army's Special Forces. He graduated from the Syrian Air Force academy in 1991, and served in many units in the Syrian Air Defence Force Command, completing several training courses. Following his service in the Syrian Air Force and Air Defence units, he joined the Air Force Intelligence service, where he was responsible for the training of the elements of the Special Operations Section. During the Syrian Civil War, al-Hasan has served and commanded his troops during several major engagements, including Operation Canopus Star and the battle for the Shaer gas field. He is part of the new generation of field Syrian army commanders who emerged during the civil war. In 2015, French newspaper Le Monde mentioned al-Hasan as a potential rival to Assad as leader of Syria.
Al-Hasan was described by analysts as preferring Russia (as opposed to Iran) to serve as the Syrian Government's main ally during the civil war and subsequent post-war reconstruction. His position is contrasted by Maher al-Assad, brother of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and head of Syria's Republican Guard and 4th Armoured Division, who is reported as preferring Iran. After the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, Al-Hasan went into hiding.
Al-Hasan is an Alawite. He has a son that, as of November 2014, he had not seen for four years due to the Syrian civil war. Hassan's first major media appearance was a spring 2014 video filmed and posted online by the pro-government Sama TV, showing Hassan visiting troops at the front in Aleppo. He is known for liking poetry, even broadcasting his own poems over to the loudspeaker at his enemies, as a warning of what will come if they do not surrender. He says that he always tries to give a chance to his enemies to give up and surrender, but has no pity if they do not or if they betray him.
Hassan refused a promotion to become brigadier general in order to continue to lead his troops directly on the battlefield. His battle tactics have been described as utilizing a scorched earth policy followed by assaulting opposition positions with house to house raids. A Syrian military source claimed Hassan had "never lost any battles" with Syrian opposition forces, yet the second siege of Wadi Deif was seen as a personal defeat for Hassan, while the Tiger forces under Hassan's command failed to break opposition force's lines when dispatched to Idlib to counter opposition offensives in 2015.
On 25 December 2015, al-Hassan was allegedly promoted from colonel to brigadier general, though Hassan's rank was disputed. On 31 December 2022, he was promoted to major general.[citation needed] On 9 April 2024, he was appointed as Commander of the Special Forces of the Syrian Arab Army.
In 1991, al-Hasan was graduated with the rank of Lieutenant from the Homs Military College. He was quickly inducted into the Air Force Intelligence Directorate’s Special Operations Unit, where he would oversee the training and development of Syria's paratrooper contingents of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). Impressed with Hassan's work ethic and effectiveness, the Syrian Arab Army's Central Command transferred him to the Syrian Air Force Intelligence headquarters; this coincided with the rise of al-Qaeda activity from 2005 to 2006. Known to be relentless and prudent, Colonel Hassan infiltrated Al-Qaeda networks inside Syria, resulting in the arrest of a number of its members operating within the borders of the country.
In 2011, Colonel al-Hasan was transferred to the SAA's Special Forces (Qawat Al-Khassa), leading the front against Al-Qaeda in Syria—the Al-Nusra Front—on the outskirts of Latakia in 2013. His success led many in the Central Command to recommend his transfer to other fronts. He later spent his time in Hama until he was tasked with a special project by the Central Command in the fall of 2013—to train and lead a Special Forces unit that would work primarily as an offensive unit. Colonel Hassan handpicked many of the soldiers that would later form the Tiger Forces; this included his close confidant and companion, Captain Lu’ayy Al-Sleitan.
In August 2013, the strategically important city of Ariha in Idlib governorate fell to the rebels. al-Hassan led the counterattack on the town. The battle lasted 10 days, and the Syrian army, backed up by heavy airstrikes, managed to retake control of the town, expelling the rebels.