Ghiath Dalla; A Syrian Brigadier General Backed by Iran, Leads the Violent Campaign Against Daraa

With the return of Daraa, the cradle of the Syrian revolution, to the forefront of the scene, and the Syrian regime mobilizing its forces with Iranian support in preparation to storm it, the name of Brigadier General Ghiath Suleiman Dalla emerged as the leader of the military campaign against it.

Dalla’s origin dates back to the town of Beit Yashout in Latakia countryside, is known for his bloody and scorched-earth policy in re-establishing control over Syrian cities outside of Assad's authority.

Dalla belongs to one of the Alawite families known for its absolute loyalty to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. That is why he was chosen to lead the military operation against Daraa.

 

Iran’s Arm in Syria

Ghiath worked in the 42nd Brigade of the Fourth Division Militia - Tanks, led by Maher al-Assad, the brother of the head of the regime. Before that he was able to establish a special militia affiliated with him with the support of Iran, called “Al-Ghaith Forces.”

Ghiath is considered an indication of the Iranian axis within the military structure of Assad's forces. He is described as Maher al-Assad's military arm on the ground.

Since the Syrian regime forces invaded Syrian cities to quell the popular movement against the rule of al-Assad, Dalla seemed to be coordinating his operations with the Iraqi and Lebanese Shiite militias backed by Iran, and this is what has been repeated in Daraa today.

That is why the “Pro-Justice” website, which is concerned with achieving the principle of accountability and preventing impunity for war criminals and human rights violators, affirms that “Al-Ghaith Forces, at the beginning of their establishment, consisted of about 500 members, most of whom were Alawites, who were selected on sectarian basis.”

By focusing more on the Ghiath forces, they are not similar to the brigades and military formations in al-Assad's forces, as many of its members do not adhere to the official dress of the regime forces, nor to shaving their beards or hair within the discipline rules that are followed.

That is why those forces, which expanded after the inclusion of elements who made security settlements with the regime, became very similar to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, as well as providing Al-Ghiath Forces with fighters of Iraqi and Lebanese nationalities at every battle they are preparing for.

Even though Dalla is a Brigadier General, but he always comes out with no military rank on his shoulders.

Ghiath Dalla, who is nearly 50 years old, was nicknamed by his loyalists as (The Lion of the Ghoutas), this is an explicit euphemism for the crimes he committed in the western and eastern Ghouta, rural Damascus, including killing, destruction and displacement.

 

Blacklist

The name of Ghiath Dalla was included in the blacklist of those who committed crimes against Syrians, which was prepared by the dissident Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab, in cooperation with dissident lawyers and officers from the regime in 2019.

In 2019, the Syrian opposition coalition submitted a request to file a lawsuit before the International Criminal Court, it sent to the court a file containing a list of the crimes committed by the officers and men of the regime, among them is Brigadier General Ghiath Dalla, whose name is listed in the order of the list in No. 87.

A Human Rights Watch report was released in mid-December 2011 that talked about the barbaric practices of the Fourth Division in suppressing the protesters, and in its siege of Muadamiyat al-Sham, its people were forced to eat leaves of trees, while whoever tried to get out or enter it was sniped.

According to Pro-Justice, Ghiath Dalla participated as an officer with the rank of colonel in the Fourth Division militia during the operation to storm the city of Muadamiyat al-Sham in Damascus countryside on August 21, 2012, which led to a massacre in which 86 people were killed.

Also in August 2012, Dalla participated in what is known as the Great Darayya massacre in Damascus countryside, in which more than 700 people were killed, including children, women and entire families.

Dalla entered the city of Muadamiyat al-Sham again in September 2012 and committed a second massacre with that militia, in which 60 people were killed.

Pro-Justice website indicates that in March 2013, the Fourth Division militia launched a more severe campaign against the city of Muadamiyat al-Sham in Damascus countryside, in which about 2,000 civilians were killed, including more than 60 women and 100 children, and 3,000 people were wounded.

Local activists also confirmed that Brigadier General Ghiath Dalla is directly responsible for Al-Yadoudeh massacre in Daraa, which occurred in late July 2021, a whole family (6 people) was killed when an Elephant rocket landed on their house.

 

A Criminal of War

Ghiath Dalla was at the head of the participants in all the operations of the 42nd Brigade - Tanks, especially in Darayya and Muadamiyat al-Sham, which was stormed, and the most horrific massacres perpetrated in 2016.

Dalla participated in the battles of Harasta in Damascus countryside in 2018, which resulted in the destruction of the city and the displacement of more than 150 thousand civilians, where he used “Golan” missiles, which he also recently brought to the vicinity of the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad.

Local made “Golan” missiles are used with the aim of intensifying the fire in the battle only because they lack the accuracy of targeting, which increases the casualties and great destruction of homes.

Emphasizing the role of Ghiath Dalla in committing war crimes against the Syrians, listed by the US Treasury on August 20, 2020, as part of a package of sanctions against officials in the Syrian regime, within what is known as the Caesar Law, which is designed to punish the regime’s supporters from groups, individuals, and countries.

The Fourth Division militia is accused of being directly linked to Iran because its leader, Maher al-Assad, leaned towards the Iranian side and received support from it.

Thus, Ghiath Dalla is seen today as one of the leaders affiliated with Iran and seeking to implement its strategy in southern Syria.

Dalla is always placed as Iran's military man in Syria, in the opposite box to Brigadier General Suheil al-Hassan, commander of 25th Division backed by Russia, and its arm in the country.

But what unites Dalla and Al-Hassan is the case of adoption of the first by Iran and the second by Russia, at a time when the Tiger Forces, led by Al-Hassan, are more numerous, spread and logistically supported.