FSA Militia Establishes Facility For Training Fighters Against Russian Army

On October 29, 2015, the Tahrir Homs ("Free Homs") militia, which operates in the area north of this city and is part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) that is fighting the Syrian regime, announced that it has established a military training facility near Homs where its officers will instruct as many fighters as possible about the methods of the Russian army. Tahrir Homs, a union of seven militias, was founded in September 2014 in order to liberate this city and the area to its north from the Assad regime, and to unite all the forces fighting against the regime in this area. It includes over 120 experienced officers who defected from the regime army.[1] In late June 2015, it founded the Military Advisory Council, whose task is "to gather intelligence and use it in the most effective manner, to prepare military maps and to coordinate with the various revolutionary forces."[2]   

The following are details on the new training facility: 

The Goal Of The Training Facility: Training Officers, Teaching Warfare Doctrines, Learning Russia's Military Deployment In Syria

The announcement on the establishment of the facility states that its goals are to: 

"1. Train officer teams to command battles;

"2. Impart the military knowledge, expertise and skills of the relevant officers to the trainees, by conducting various courses...

"3. Teach military plans based on experience gained in previous battles against the [Assad] regime and apply [this experience] in practice...

"4. Provide the trainees with all the new information regarding the Russian's military deployment in Syria and the new Russian weapons, their uses and their specifications.

"5. Train the officers who defected [from the Syrian army] in intensive courses so as to promote them to higher [military] ranks..."

The announcement stated further that the facility would serve all rebels factions interested.[3]   

The announcement of the facility's establishment (homs-l-m.com, November 29, 2015)

Tahrir Homs Officials: The Facility Will Offer Various Courses, Including On Sniping, Martyrdom Operations

According to Tahrir Homs's information officer, Suhaib Al-'Ali, the facility has already announced its first course, on "fighting in small groups," which will deal with "disrupting and destroying enemy supply and evacuation lines and with obtaining artillery and rocket backup."[4] Captain Rashid Al-Horani, one of the militia's top officials, said that the facility is headed by Lieutenant-Colonel 'Imad Shahoud and has a staff of 20 officers. He added that, in addition to the course of small-group fighting, there will be courses on sniping, weapons maintenance and also martyrdom operations, because the main goal of the facility is to train groups of fighters who are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to harm the regime forces and militias.[5] Below are photos of trainees at the facility:[6]  

Tahrir Homs also produced a video on the facility, its goals and the training it offers.[7] To view the clip, click below:

Endnotes: