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DeirEzzor24 exclusive report
“Khalaf Al-Zarzour” comes from the town of Al-Tabiya, an island in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. He is 37 years old, married to three women. He joined the Free Army at the beginning of the revolution and moved to SDF-controlled areas, only to return under an Iranian settlement mediated by “Nawaf Al-Bashir” in early 2018.
“Al-Zarzour” is considered the field commander of the Tribal Brigade militia, led by “Nawaf Al-Bashir”, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard militia. He supervises 11 points in the Maizila area, south of Al-Bukamal, in addition to groups affiliated with the militia in the town of Al-Salhiya in the Al-Bukamal countryside.
He receives orders directly from the commander of the Revolutionary Guard militia, called “Hajj Malik,” while presenting the spoils to Al-Bashir in the villas of the suburb of Deir Ezzor.
Al-Zarzour is known as a professional thief who searched the entire Muayzilah camp, the T2 station, and a number of engineering equipment from the people of the Albukamal area for the benefit of pilgrims from the Revolutionary Guard militia, and Nawaf Al-Bashir, who uses it to collect money, equipment, food rations, stolen goods, livestock, and agricultural products, and to search items for his own benefit.
“Al-Zarzour” manages the “Hajj Malik” building and rest house in the Mu’izila area, and employs its military members to work in exchange for weekly vacations, while receiving sums estimated at hundreds of millions of liras for these works, which he shares with Sheikh “Nawaf Al-Bashir.”
It is worth noting that “Al-Zarzour” bears responsibility for the killing of 3 members and the injury of 5 others from the Deir Ezzor countryside in an ambush by ISIS while he was employing the elements to scavenge at night. He was injured by cutting off the fingers of his hand in addition to being shot in the shoulder, and is now lying in the military hospital in the city of Deir Ezzor.