Issam Jad'aan Zahreddine (Arabic: عصام جدعان زهر الدين‎‎;  1961 – 18 October 2017), sometimes also transliterated as Issam Zaher Eldin or Issam Zaher al-Deen, was a Major General of the Syrian Republican Guard who played a major role in the Syrian Civil War, leading Syrian government forces on several fronts. His most prominent role was the leadership of the surrounded Syrian forces during the over three-year long Siege of Deir ez-Zor. Syrian news agency Al-Masdar News reported on 18 October 2017, that Zahreddine was killed by a land mine explosion during operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Saqr island in Deir ez-Zor.

Background

Zahreddine was born in the small rural village of Tarba in the As-Suwayda Governorate in 1961. A member of the Druze religious community, he was commissioned as an officer in the Airborne (Special Forces) Armoured units in 1982. Before that he served in the Baath Party's People's Militia (Popular Militia) as a conscript from 1980 to 1982. In 1987, he was inducted into the Republican Guard as an Armoured and Mechanized Units' officer.

Role in Syrian civil war

Zahreddine commanded the Republican Guard's 104th Brigade in Douma and Harasta alongside Brigadier General Manaf Tlass before the latter's defection. This brigade was led by Bashar Assad before he became President, and by Basil Assad until his death in 1994. In his position as leader of the 104th Brigade, Zahreddine ordered the systematic beating of arrested protestors in Douma during the civil uprising phase of the Syrian Civil War; for these actions, he became known as the "Druze Beast" among the Syrian opposition.

As the Syrian Civil War escalated, Zahreddine became one of the most prominent and high-ranking members of the Druze community in Syria fighting for the government. As result, he has been widely criticized by pro-opposition and anti-war Druze: The leader of the Lebanese Druze, Walid Jumblatt, accused him of "fighting against his own people", and Zahreddine was also singled out by a group of Druze religious leaders meeting in As-Suwayda in February 2013 as an individual deserving of death, in a statement otherwise decrying the use of violence by both sides. Among those Druze in Syria who are loyal to the Assad government, however, he was regarded as a "hero" and had many followers.

He was sent in early 2012 to Homs where the Assad regime offensive against opposition-held districts was culminating in the well-publicised siege and Battle of Baba Amr. On 21 February the regime intercepted a call by famous war reporter Marie Colvin: "The [SAA] is simply shelling a city of cold, starving civilians". The Syrian regime had tracked Colvin from Lebanon, triangulated the call to the Homs Media Center, and confirmed with a local informant.  After confirming with Maher Al-Assad, Zahreddine (and Shahada and Ghaliya) planned an artillery attack against HMC that began next morning.They bracketed the artillery fire directly onto the Center (and then adjusted fire on surviving journalists who had fled into the streets). After General Shahada confirmed Colvin's death, both Issam Zahreddine and Muhammad Ghaliya received commendations.

Sometime after 2013, he was promoted from Brigadier General to Major General.

Following the start of the Aleppo offensive (October 2013), Zahreddine was originally going to lead an assault to Anadan. However, he was requested for assistance in Deir ez-Zor due to Major General Jameh's death. While there, he became known for frequently visiting the front line and interacting with ordinary soldiers. On 27 November 2013, while commanding his forces in al-Rashdiya district, Zahreddine was wounded in the leg by a bullet. Zahreddine and his son Yarob travelled to as-Suwayda in September 2015 in order to attend the funeral of Sheikh Wahid al-Balous, a Druze leader who had been a prominent anti-war activist.

On 5 September 2017, Zahreddine was congratulated by President Bashar Assad for his role at Deir ez-Zor during the over 3-year long siege of the city by ISIS. He used the occasion to thank allies for lifting the siege and tell Syrian refugees to "never return", saying that "even if the state forgives you, we will never forgive nor forget". In a subsequent audio message, however, Zahreddine claimed that he had meant that only those who had taken up arms against the Syrian Army should not return.

Personal life

Issam's oldest son, Yarob, also fights with the 104th Brigade in Deir ez-Zor.

Death

On 18 October 2017, Zahreddine was killed when his vehicle hit a land mine in Hawija Saqr near Deir Ezzor as he was conducting an operation against the ISIL group.