Background

Mohammad Abdul Latif, also known as Abu Ghannoum, was a journalist and activist living in the city of al-Bab. He had been a vocal critic of the Assad regime, but also investigated and spoke out against corruption within the anti-Government militias.

It was this criticism of the militias – notably the Turkish-backed Hamza Division and their involvement in drugs trafficking and corruption, that led to the assassination of Latif and his pregnant wife on October 7, 2022.

The following is what Latif told Al-Monitor about the incident.

“An armed group led by Abu Abdo al-Kadri, a prominent leader of the FSA’s Hamza Division, stormed…the house of Sohaib Abu Kasha, an officer of the police’s narcotics division of al-Bab city…The group brutally stormed the house before searching it and breaking some furniture, terrifying children and women who were inside the house at the time of the attack. One of the aggressors confiscated the cellphone of Abu Kasha’s wife and went through it. Before they left the house, another one of the aggressors told the wife that they broke into the house in retaliation for her husband confiscating a shipment of narcotics…The aggressors took advantage of the absence of Abu Kasha who was at work on the outskirts of the city of al-Bab [on the day of the attack]. All those who stormed the house were drunk, and apparently some of them do drugs.”

Following the arrest of al-Kadri, Latif became involved in a public disagreement with Abu Sultan al-Dairi, leader of the al-Dairi group of the Hamza Division after al-Dairi assaulted Latif at the prison cell where al-Kadri was being held. Al-Dairi’s motivation for the attack was the fact that Latif was exposing al-Kadri and by extension, the wider Hamza Division and its criminal activities. 

Despite Latif’s popularity with locals living in SNA-occupied areas as an anti-corruption campaigner, he was seen as a threat by leaders of militias engaged in corruption, especially Hamza commanders Abu Abdo al-Qadri and Abu Sultan al-Dairi. It would be these two individuals responsible for his assassination.

Murder

On October 7, Latif and his pregnant wife were riding around al-Bab on the former’s motorcycle. Two motorbikes were following him and he was shot dead near the “Farn Roundabout” in al-Bab, east of Aleppo. Reports indicated that he was killed almost instantly, whereas his wife may have died later, with early reports describing her as injured. 

The following video shows the moments leading up to Latif’s death where he is being followed by three men on two motorbikes.

Suspects

After three days of investigation by police in conjunction with the 3rd Legion of the SNA, the gunman responsible for killing Latif was identified as Akram Al-Akal, known by his nom-de-guerre “Abu Haitham”. Al-Akal was born in Deir Ezzor, Southern Syria and was formerly an ISIS fighter. He later joined the militia Ahrar al-Sharqia (who were responsible for the assassination of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf) before being arrested on various crimes with Abu Sultan al-Dairi and the two spent time in an Afrin prison before being released through a deal struck with now-resigned-3rd Legion Commander Abu Ahmad Noor. Al-Akal was arrested after being wounded in a shootout with police and the 3rd Legion at al-Bab hospital.

The second suspect arrested, and commander of the operation to assassinate Latif, The second member of the assassination cell was Muhammad al-Mughayyir Abu Ahmed al-Hamwi, nicknamed Abu Sultan al-Dairi, a faction leader within the ranks of the Hamza Division based in the Tal Abyad area in the rural Raqqa countryside. Al-Dairi was also previously part of the Ahrar Al-Sharqiya faction and was imprisoned in the city of Afrin years ago on multiple charges including theft, before he was released in the same deal that saw his friend Abu Haitham be released. He was arrested by the 3rd Legion and military police and it is currently unclear whether Al-Dairi remains in prison or has been released. 

The mastermind behind the assassination according to multiple sources is Sayf Abu Bakr, leader of the Hamza division. Abu Bakr is widely considered to be an asset of Turkish intelligence and has close links to the political elite in Ankara. It is reported that Abu Bakr planned and gave the green light to assassinate Latif to protect the reputation of his militia. Abu Bakr was not imprisoned and his militia has publicly condemned the individuals. 

Reaction

Following the revelations that the Hamza Division were responsible for the assassination, the Division released the following statement:

Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian National Army

Hamza Division Special Forces

In The Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful

To our honorable people in Al-Bab city in particular and in the liberated areas in general

We regret that those accused of the murder of the martyr Muhammad Abd al-Latif Abu Ghanoum, who were arrested today from the salaries of the Hamza Division, special forces, and belong to one of the brigades that joined us recently, and we in the leadership of the division disavow anyone who proves his involvement in this heinous crime, the elements of the brigade and its leadership, and we bear responsibility Their presence in our ranks before searching in detail in the tenure files of all its other elements

And as we were previously, and we will be sympathetic to the demands of our people and our revolution in pointing out the mistakes and dealing with them, and we declare our readiness for full cooperation, including the handing over of everyone who requests that the brigade to which the sniffer belongs to the competent revolutionary institutions, including the National Committee for Survivors, the military police, the judiciary, the military, and the necessary security elements of the division. In the city of Al-Bab and put them under investigation to find out who were involved in this strange crime and its causes and motives

We affirm our full cooperation with the competent institutions to uncover those involved so that they receive their just punishment.

We affirm our full commitment to its decision no matter what it costs us, and we call on all of our honorable revolutionaries to cooperate with us to reach justice in the right ways that befit our revolution.

10/10/2022

Marqat al-Hamza Command Council, Special Forces

Despite the Hamza Divisions attempt to calm any oncoming storm with the above statement, clashes broke out after the Levant Front-led 3rd Legion marched on al-Bab, and forced the Hamza Division to retreat. This event fractured the Syrian Opposition as militias allied with one another to defeat one-another. After the Levant Front took control of Al-Bab and the Hamza Division headquarters on the outskirts of the town, the Hamza Division conducted a regional counteroffensive with the help of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and other smaller, groups such as Ahrar al-Sham and al-Amshat. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS dominated the battlefield and took full control of the city of Afrin. Videos circulated online of HTS vehicles conducting a patrol alongside a Turkish force. A first ceasefire was signed on 15th October, which was then broken on 17th October, before another ceasefire was signed on 19th October, and this time successfully implemented. It is estimated that around 50 soldiers died, alongside 10 civilian casualties.