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On January 9, 2025, the Syrian group South Liberation Front announced its establishment on Telegram and demanded that Israel withdraw its forces from Syrian territory.[1] On January 11 the group announced that it had changed its name to "The Formidable In Might – Islamic Resistance Front In Syria," because the old name had been similar to the names of several other groups.[2] As a matter of fact, the new name is reminiscent of Hizbullah's official name (the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon), and "The Formidable Might" was the name of the campaign Hizbullah launched on September 17, 2024 against Israel.[3] The group has also changed it logo, omitting the map of Syria that appeared in its former logo and adding an image of a hand holding a rifle, similar to Hizbullah's logo.
Another message posted by the group on the same day stated that its "patrol and reconnaissance units" had gathered intelligence on "organization and deployment sites of the Israeli enemy" in Daraa, Quneitra and west of Damascus, and that it is preparing to carry out several "direct high-quality operations against this occupation" and to kill or capture Israeli soldiers.[4]
On January 12 the group posted three photos of what appear to be Israeli forces in Syria, and wrote: "your end is near"; "the quality targets are in place. Time is up and the activity has begun"; "prepare the hearses for the dead, [because] death is coming." [5]
[1] See MEMRI JTTM Report: New Syrian Group, The South Liberation Front, Gives Israel 48-Hour Ultimatum To Withdraw From Syrian Territory: We Have 'Quality Weapons' From Previous Regime, January 9, 2025.
[2] Telegram, January 11, 2025.
[3] The phrase is taken from Quran 17:5: "When the first of the two warnings would come to pass, We would send against you some of Our servants of formidable might, who would ravage your homes. This would be a warning fulfilled."
[4] Telegram, January 11, 2025.
[5] Telegram, January 12, 2025.
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