Saraya al-Jawad
Militant organization in Syria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rijal al-Nour, Saraya al-Jawad (Arabic: رجال النور، سرايا الجواد, lit. 'Men of Light, Al-Jawad Company') is a Syrian Assadist militant organization formed on 1 August 2025.
| Rijal al-Nour, Saraya al-Jawad | |
|---|---|
| رجال النور، سرايا الجواد | |
| Other name | Rijal al-Nour |
Leader | Bashar Abdullah Abu Ruqayya † (2025—2026) |
| Founded | 1 August 2025 |
| Dates active | 1 August 2025 – present |
| Country |  Syria |
| Allegiance |  Ba'athist Syria |
| Headquarters | Jableh |
| Active regions | Latakia Governorate |
| Ideology | Assadism |
| Wars | |
History
It was founded on 1 August 2025, in a statement commemorating Bashar al-Assad's "Syrian Arab Army Day".[1]
The group released a video on 1 September that shows the group carrying out an IED attack on the Jableh against a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Defense on 15 August 2025,[1] where 5 militants participated in addition to declaring retaliation for the arrest of Sheikh Saleh al-Mansour.[2]
The group claimed another IED attack on a Syrian government vehicle on 4 September, which the group claimed to have carried out in revenge for the assassination of Bashar Mihoub in Tartus, the video only shows an explosion, not the target or the location.[3][4][5]
They pledged to launch intensive military operations against Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and what it called "foreign mercenaries backed by Qatar and Turkey", describing it as "revenge for the souls of the martyrs". It is considered a possible extension of a previous faction called the Coastal Shield Brigade.[6]
On 29 September, Saraya al-Jawad detonated a roadside IED on a likely government position near Besayasin, Latakia Province and two other IEDs the next day. None of Saraya al-Jawad's IED attacks caused casualties. The group said that it conducted the attack in revenge for the killing of four Alawite construction workers in Jardin, Hama Province on 28 September.[7]
On 24 December, the Syrian forces dismantled their headquarters in Jableh; commander Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad stated that the group was planning attacks for the New Year.[8]
On 24 February, the Syrian government forces carried out a security operation with commander Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad stating it was carried out after several days of close surveillance and targeted two points in the Beit Alouni and Basniya areas. The leader of Saraya al-Jawad, Bashar Abdullah Abu Ruqayya, died in the operation.[9][10]