Damascus appoints sanctioned militant as leader of 86th Division

The Damascus authority has appointed the mercenary Ahmad al-Hays, known as “Hatem Abu Shakra,” as the new leader of the 86th Division. Al-Hays is listed on the U.S. sanctions list and is responsible for the assassination of Hevrin Khalaf, the Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party.

5 May, 2025 15:52

NEWSDESK

On Monday, the Ministry of Defense of the Damascus authorities appointed Ahmad al-Hays, also known as “Hatem Abu Shakra,” as the new leader of the 86th Division, a move that sparked widespread outrage due to his documented involvement in crimes and human rights violations.

Hatem Abu Shakra, whose real name is Ahmad Ihsan Fayad al-Hays, is one of the leaders of the "Ahrar al-Sharqiya" mercenary group. He is held responsible for the October 2019 assassination of Hevrin Khalaf and her driver, Farhad Ramadan, a crime that drew widespread international condemnation.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him in 2021, along with Ahrar al-Sharqiya, citing his involvement in “numerous human rights abuses,” including his supervision of a prison run by the group in Aleppo in 2018, where mass executions of hundreds of detainees took place.

The department also accused him of trafficking Yazidi women and children and of integrating ISIS fighters into Ahrar al-Sharqiya. It noted that "a number of ISIS officials pledged allegiance to him and participated in ransom and extortion operations led by the faction."

A report by Amnesty International in August 2018 documented the involvement of Ahrar al-Sharqiya in kidnappings, arbitrary detentions, and the seizure of civilian lands in the areas under their control.

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