Profile: Liwa' al-Waqqas (SNA)

Liwa’ al-Waqqas - لواء الوقاص - Al Vakkas Tugayı

‘al-Waqqas Brigade’

Basic information:

• Likely formed in early 2017 in northern Aleppo

• A member of the SNA since its founding on December 30 2017, affiliated with the First Legion

• Took part in Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch (2018), and Operation Peace Spring (2019)

• Part of the “13th Division” coalition with Liwa’ Samarqand and Liwa' al-Sultan Mehmet al-Fatih

• Size estimate: several hundred fighters

• Primarily active in Mare’ and nearby frontline village of al-Tuways (Euphrates Shield), kicked out of southern Sheikh al-Hadid (Afrin) in late 2022

• Ethnic Turkmen identity, though membership might be mixed Arab/Turkmen

Leadership:

Sa’ad ‘Abbas

Sa’ad ‘Abbas (left) with former SIG Minister of Defense Salim Idris, Nov 2020 (source)

• Reportedly from Mare’, Aleppo

  • Account from former member: “There is a prior familiarity between me and the commander of Liwa al-Waqqas considering that he was in the [al-Jabhah al-Shamiyah] and he is of the sons of the town of Mare'a and we were fighting the [Islamic State] in Mare'a and on account of that relation I joined this Liwa.”

• Visited the local district headquarters of Turkish ultranationalist MHP in Ankara suburbs in January 2020

  

  Pic 1: fourth from left. Pic 2: right (source)