Issam Zahreddine

Issam Jad'aan Zahreddine (Arabic: عصام جدعان زهر الدين‎‎; 1961 – 18 October 2017) sometimes called as Issam Zaher Eldin or Issam Zaher al-Deen, was a Major General of the Syrian Republican Guard.[2][3][4] He played a major role in the Syrian Civil War, leading government forces on several fronts.[5] His most prominent role was the leadership of the surrounded Syrian forces during the over three-year long Siege of Deir ez-Zor.

Issam Zahreddine
Nickname"Lion of the Republican Guard"[1]
"The Druze Beast"
Born1961
Tarba, As-Suwayda, Syria
Died18 October 2017(2017-10-18) (aged 56)
Hawijat Saqr, Deir ez-Zor
Allegiance Syria
Service/branchSyrian Arab Army
Years of service1980–2017
RankSyria-Liwa.jpg Major General
UnitSyrian Republican Guard SSI.svg Syrian Republican Guard
Commands held
  • Republican Guard's 104th Brigade[2]
  • Commander of SAA troops in Aleppo (July – October 2013)
  • Commander of Republican Guards in Deir ez-Zor (October 2013 – October 2017)
Battles/warsSyrian civil war

Syrian news agencies reported on 18 October 2017, that Zahreddine was killed by a land mine explosion during operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Saqr island in Deir ez-Zor.[6]

References

  1. S.J. Prince (20 November 2016). "WATCH: Syrian General Tours Row of Corpses of Dead ISIS Militants". Heavy.com. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "By All Means Necessary!" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. December 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  3. "Senior-level Syrian Army official killed in battle | JerusalemOnline". Archived from the original on 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  4. "Military commander of Syria's Deir al-Zour operation killed in mine explosion - Xinhua | English.news.cn".
  5. Gambill, Gary C. (2013), Syrian Druze: Toward Defiant Neutrality, Middle East Forum, retrieved 9 July 2013
  6. Leith Fadel (18 October 2017). "Breaking: Prominent Syrian general Issam Zahreddine killed in Deir Ezzor". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.