Falcons of al-Ghab
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Union of the Falcons of al-Ghab | ||||||||||
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The Union of the Falcons of al-Ghab, usually known as the Falcons of al-Ghab, was a Free Syrian Army brigade operating in Hama governorate. It was founded in February 2012 by Lt. Jamil Raadoun, a defector from the Syrian Arab Air Defense Force. Based primarily in the al-Ghab Plain region of northwest Hama, the Falcons participated in several major rebel offenses and soon became the largest FSA brigade in the governorate. It was among the first groups to receive TOW anti-tank missiles from the American CIA in early 2014. This aid worsened an already tense relationship with the al-Nusra Front, though clashes were rare at first. In August 2015 the Falcons of al-Ghab led the formation of Jaysh al-Nasr with three other Hama-based FSA brigades. Shortly afterward, Lt. Raadoun was assassinated while in Turkey seeking aid for the group. Though no one claimed credit, al-Nusra was generally thought to be responsible. This action, combined with Nusra's increasing authoritarianism, widened the divide between jihadi and non-jihadi rebels in Hama. Over the next two years, with its adversaries distracted by events in other parts of the country, the Falcons played a major role in overcoming Nusra's Islamic Emirate of the Levant and reducing the government's territory in the area. The group also used its anti-sectarian credentials to reach various deals with many of Hama's Alawite, Ismaili, and Christian minority regions.