| Military Council for the Liberation of Syria | |
|---|---|
| المجلس العسكري لتحرير سوريا | |
 | |
| Leader | Ghiath Dalla |
| Foundation | 6 March 2025[1] |
| Dates of operation | 6 March 2025 (2025-03-06) – present |
| Country |  Syria |
| Allegiance |  Ba'athist Syria |
| Active regions | Latakia Governorate Tartus Governorate |
| Ideology | Assadism |
| Status | Active |
| Allies |  Syrian Popular ResistanceCoastal Shield Brigade |
| Opponents | Syrian transitional government |
| Battles and wars | |
| Flag | %2c_Flag_of_Syria_(1980%25E2%2580%25932024).svg) |
TheMilitary Council for the Liberation of Syria (Arabic:المجلس العسكري لتحرير سوريا,romanized: al-Majlis al-'Askarīy li-Tahrīr Sūrīya) is an armed opposition coalition formed on 6 March 2025 by formerSyrian Arab Armed Forces (SAAF) officerGhiath Dalla and other former officers and loyalists of thefallenAssad regime.
The organization emerged followingsignificantly heightened violence inSyria's coastal regions after thefall of the Assad regime and the establishment of theSyrian Transitional Government in December 2024.
The council was officially announced through a distributed "Statement No. 1" accredited toBrigadier General Ghiath Dalla, a formerSyrian Arab Army officer. Its formation coincided witharmed confrontations between Syrian security forces loyal to Assad regime Syrian Army ColonelSuhayl al-Hasan inLatakia's countryside. The statement declared the organization's establishment following what was described as a "unified attack" against theGeneral Security Service inLatakia Governorate, which reportedly resulted in more than sixteen fatalities among government personnel.[2][3]
According to its inaugural statement, the Military Council for the Liberation of Syria articulated that its primary objectives were to "liberate all Syrian territory from all occupyingterrorist forces" and to "overthrow theexisting regime and dismantle its oppressivesectarian apparatus". The council publicly appealed toSyrian citizens across allsectarian, regional, andethnic backgrounds to joint their forces. The council also called upon theinternational community to provide support for "the will of the Syrian people" to "liberate themselves from injustice andtyranny disguised in vague terms."[2][4]
In early March 2025, the military council's forces engaged in significant military confrontations with Syria's new security apparatus. Clashes began inBeit Ana, birthplace of Colonel Suhayl al-Hasan, after local residents obstructed attempts by security forces to arrest an individual wanted by the transitional government. Council forces confronted transitional governmentmilitary planes andhelicopters in the woodlands surrounding Beit Ana andDaliyah in Latakia's countryside.[2][4]
On 6 March, the Naval College in Latakia was temporarily seized by theCoastal Shield Brigade, reportedly affiliated with the council, before government forces reclaimed control several hours later. Clashes were also reported around the Criminal Security Branch in Latakia and the al-Zira'a neighborhood in Latakia city. These military operations resulted in approximately 28 fatalities among Syrian security personnel. Seven additional security force members and four civilians were reportedly killed in the Beit Ana area during combat.[2][5]
The Syrian transitional government characterized the Military Council for the Liberation of Syria activities as "part of apsychological warfare campaign" meant to mislead citizens while propagating civil chaos. The Syrian government insisted that its military forces were continuing to fight against the council's forces, stating that it would refuse to allow any parties to "turn back the clock". The government also implored Syrian citizens to ignore what it dubbed "false news" from the council and other parties, and insisted that they exclusively rely on official news sources to avoid fake claims.[2]
On 18 June 2025, former intelligence brigadier generalDaas Hassan Ali, was arrested for allegedly collaborating with and supplying intelligence to the Military Council for the Liberation of Syria, as Ali was a close compatriot of Dalla during their time in intelligence. The council had reportedly been moving Ali among safe-houses to prevent his arrest for some time prior to this.[6]
