Absi al-Taha (Arabic: عبسي الطه), better known by his nom de guerre Abu Omar al-Idlibi (Arabic: أبو عمر الإدلبي), is a Syrian military leader who is a commander of the Northern Democratic Brigade of the Syrian Democratic Forces, leading the group in the Raqqa Governorate.[3]

Pre-war

Prior to the Syrian Civil War, Abu Omar al-Idlibi worked as a construction developer.[1]

Syrian Civil War

With the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, al-Idlibi was conscripted into the Syrian Arab Army to lead a tank platoon as a second lieutenant. He and his unit defected to the Free Syrian Army when his village in the Idlib Governorate was attacked.[1]

In July 2014, al-Idlibi accused the al-Nusra Front of committing massacres in the Darkush area of western Idlib, citing the killing and beheading of a FSA fighter by al-Nusra fighters in the village of al-Ghafir.[4]

In August 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham executed Osama al-Khader, commander of the Decisive Storm Brigade of the 21st Combined Forces, on charges including collaboration with al-Idlibi to conduct espionage and sabotage against HTS and other groups in Idlib.[5]

The human rights group Syrians for Truth and Justice reported that the Northern Democratic Brigade confiscated dozens of deserted and unused houses in Raqqa from February 2020.[6] When some owners returned to the city to request the return of their properties to reclaim or sell them, Abu Omar al-Idlibi and the unit refused to return the houses, citing their previous non-usage and the need to provide a place to live for the brigade's families.[3]

References

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