Former Eighth Brigade commander says survived assassination attempt
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Former commander of the now-dissolved Eighth Brigade, Ahmad al-Awda, announced on Sunday that he had survived what he described as an assassination attempt and had placed himself under the custody of the Syrian government, according to a statement he released.
Al-Awda said in a recorded statement that an armed group attempted to target him, adding that he possessed photos and video footage documenting what he described as the group’s involvement in planning the attack. He stated that the incident was part of attempts to achieve “what the former Assad regime, Hezbollah, and their affiliates failed to accomplish,” according to his words.
The announcement came amid recent security tensions in Daraa province. Earlier, the Internal Security Command in Daraa imposed a one-day curfew following the killing of a young man and the injury of another in a shooting carried out by unidentified gunmen. Local authorities later said the situation returned to calm after the curfew ended, with Internal Security forces deploying across neighborhoods to prevent further incidents and maintain stability.
Al-Awda called for a transparent investigation into the incident to clarify its circumstances and hold those responsible accountable. He added that he had placed himself under the custody of Syrian Defense Minister and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to demonstrate that he “has devoted and continues to devote his efforts to serving and rebuilding the country,” according to the statement.
Ahmad al-Awda is considered one of the most prominent military figures in southern Syria. A native of Busra al-Sham in eastern Daraa countryside, he graduated from the English Literature Department at Damascus University and previously worked in the United Arab Emirates before returning to Syria following the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in 2011.
He later joined the Free Syrian Army and led the “Shabab al-Sunna Brigade,” which became one of the most influential armed factions in southern Syria.
In April 2025, the leadership of the Eighth Brigade announced the full dissolution of the formation and the transfer of its military and personnel assets to the Syrian Arab Republic’s Ministry of Defense, a move that significantly reshaped the military landscape in Daraa province, particularly in Busra al-Sham and surrounding areas.