Sayf Balud | |
|---|---|
.png) Sayf Balud in 2013 | |
| Nickname(s) | "The Turkmen commander"[1] |
| Born | c. 1988[2] Bizaah, Aleppo Governorate, Syria |
| Allegiance |  Ba'athist Syria (until 2012) Syrian opposition (from 2012) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2013–2014; disputed) |
| Service | |
| Years of service | 2005–present |
| Rank |
|
| Unit | Abu Bakr Sadiq Brigades Al-Tawhid Brigade Hazzm Movement Hamza Division |
| Battles / wars | |
Sayf Balud[5] (Arabic: سيف أبو بكر; Turkish; Seyf Polat; born 1988), also known by his nom de guerre Sayf Abu Bakr[a], is a Syrian rebel leader and former military officer who has fought for several armed opposition factions in the Syrian civil war. Having served with the Free Syrian Army during the conflict's early stages, he reportedly joined the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2013, possibly as a spy for the Turkish intelligence. He defected from ISIL in 2014, and consequently became the commander of the CIA-supported Hazzm Movement and later the Hamza Division. In September 2021, he became the deputy leader of the Syrian Front for Liberation. As part of these groups, he has become an important ally of Turkey within the armed Syrian opposition. He also acts as the de facto military governor of al-Bab since 2017.
- ^ Heras 2018, p. 14.
- ^ Heras 2018, p. 12.
- ^ "Among the Free Syrian Army". TRT World. 16 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Hamza Brigade's Leader: Few Hours Later We Will Raise The Victory Signs in Bab City (Video)". Qasioun News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ a b Fevzi Kızılkoyun (13 August 2022). "Suriye Milli Ordusu Komutanı Seyf Ebubekir Polat, Hürriyet'e konuştu: Şanlı Türk bayrağı sığınağımız oldu [Syrian National Army Commander Seyf Ebubekir Polat spoke to Hürriyet: The glorious Turkish flag has become our shelter]". Hürriyet.
- ^ Heras 2018, p. 11.
- ^ Colin P. Clarke; Ahmet S. Yayla (31 December 2018). "The United States Can't Rely on Turkey to Defeat ISIS". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (29 May 2020). "Clashes in Syria's Turkish-occupied Afrin leave 3 civilians dead". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
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