Essam al-Buwaydhani
Essam al-Buwaydhani | |
|---|---|
| Native name | عصام البويضاني |
| Born | 1971 Douma, Syria |
| Allegiance |  Jaysh al-Islam |
| Battles / wars | |
Essam al-Buwaydhani, also known as Abu Hammam (Arabic: أبو همام البويضاني) is a Syrian rebel leader. He was reportedly born in Douma and was a businessman by profession.[1] He was elected leader of Jaysh al-Islam after Zahran Alloush, the previous leader of the group, was killed in a Syrian Air Force air strike in December 2015.[2]
Following the fall of the Assad regime, Buwaydhani and other rebel leaders, met with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham head Ahmed al-Sharaa in December 2024 at a conference in Damascus, where they agreed to dissolve their factions.[3] Buwaydhani then became an official in the defence ministry.[4]
On 24 April 2025, Buwaydhani was arrested at Dubai International Airport while exiting the United Arab Emirates. He was reported to have entered the country for private reasons using a Turkish passport.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Issam al-Buwaydani, known as Abu Hammam, the newly elected head of the Jaish al-Islam (Islam Army) Syrian rebel group, speaks during a gathering for the group on December 26, 2015, in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern edges of the Syrian capital Damascus. Buwaydani, a 40-year-old businessman and fighter from Douma, was elected to replace Zahran Alloush just hours after the group's chief was killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights". Getty Images. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Syrian rebels name successor to slain commander". The Times of Israel. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Sharaa Meets Leaders of Military Factions, Agree to Integrate Them Under Ministry of Defense". Syria TV. The Syrian Observer. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Syria group says military chief arrested in UAE". France 24. 28 April 2025.