"Division 60" is a chaos branch in Aleppo

The General Command of the Internal Security Forces in Aleppo issued a statement on September 22, 2025, regarding the attack on security checkpoints in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods by factions of the Syrian transitional government. The attack injured two attackers and killed one, who was subsequently identified as Muhammad Omar Qasim, a member of the "Division 60" of the transitional Ministry of Defense.

The statement described the attackers as belonging to "unruly groups affiliated with the Ministry of Defense in the Damascus regime," leaving unanswered questions regarding who these groups are, to whom they are attached, and when they came to Aleppo.

Aleppo witnessed a great shift in the map of military control following the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive under the name "Deterrence of Aggression" to seize Damascus. The offensive, launched from the city of Atarib in Aleppo's western countryside, was launched. Following three days of military operations, on December 1, 2024, HTS announced its complete control over the city, which consists of 117 neighborhoods.

This was concurrent with the withdrawal of ex-regime forces and the breakout of partial clashes between HTS and Turkish occupation army-aligned factions in the northern neighborhoods that overlook the countryside. Despite HTS's announcement of having control over Aleppo, the field reality had shown a scene of chaos, particularly in the eastern neighborhoods, where armed factions had grown in a disorganized way at the expense of HTS's real control in favor of Turkish influence.

On 28 December 2024, the transitional government declared the restructuring of the Ministry of Defense. The promotion orders included the promotion of Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra and Chief of Staff Ali Nour al-Din al-Naasan to the rank of Major General, along with promoting "dozens of officers." The move was faced with wide controversy as it included officers who had made violations and war crimes, along with foreign entities who have radical affiliations.

Under this structure, "20 military divisions" were formed, dispersed in various Syrian territories under the control of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Four of the divisions were in Aleppo, comprising mercenary factions tied to the occupation, such as the Hamzat and al-Amshat Divisions, and extremist Islamist factions such as the Turkestan Islamic Party.

The Four Military Divisions in Aleppo

Division 60

Is headquartered in Aleppo Governorate and led by Saleh Amouri, also known as "Abu Nafie," a native of the city of Azaz and has been active in corruption, embezzlement, and prohibited trade. Local sources have indicated him to be engaged in registering public property in his private name, establishing prostitution and drug trade networks, and committing abuses and crimes against citizens in Afrin, which has been occupied by Turkish mercenaries. It recently targeted a checkpoint in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods.

Division 76

It is led by mercenary Saif al-Din Bulad, alias "Abu Bakr," a Syrian intelligence officer who defected in 2012 prior to enlisting with the Turkish-backed Hamzat mercenaries. He participated in the incursions of the Turkish occupation into Syrian territory, such as Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch, and committed serious violations against civilians, which prompted the US Treasury Department to add him to its sanctions list in August 2023.

Division 80

Its leader is mercenary Khaled al-Omar, also known as "Abu al-Yaman," a former officer of the Ba'ath regime who has been involved with extremist Islamist factions since 2012. His name has been invoked in forced displacement and kidnapping operations in Turkish-occupied areas, as well as being blamed for the kidnapping of YPJ fighter Çiçek Kobani in 2019.

Division 72

Its commander has not been made official, but one of the brigades of the division was led by Doğan Sulayman. Sulayman is accused of complicity in selling weapons to ISIS mercenaries, kidnappings, murders and extortion, and sending mercenaries to Libya and Niger at Turkish requests.

In this complex situation, it appears that the de facto power that dominates Aleppo is the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries.

ANHA