Sayf Bulad | |
|---|---|
.png) Sayf Bulad in 2013 | |
| Nickname(s) | "The Turkmen commander"[1] |
| Born | c. 1988 (age 36–37)[2] Bizaah, Aleppo Governorate, Syria |
| Allegiance |  Ba'athist Syria (until 2012) Syrian opposition (from 2012) Islamic State (2013–2014; disputed) |
| Branch | |
| Years of service | 2005–present |
| Rank |
|
| Unit | Abu Bakr Sadiq Brigades Al-Tawhid Brigade Hazzm Movement Hamza Division |
| Battles / wars | |
Sayf al-Din Bulad[5] (Arabic: سيف أبو بكر; Turkish: Seyf Polat; born 1988), better known as Sayf Bulad[6] and also known by his nom de guerre Sayf Abu Bakr[a], is a Syrian military officer and former rebel leader who rose to prominence fighting for several armed opposition factions in the Syrian civil war.
Having served with the Free Syrian Army during the conflict's early stages, he reportedly joined the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2013, possibly as a spy for the Turkish intelligence. Bulad defected from ISIL in 2014, and consequently became the commander of the CIA-supported Hazzm Movement and later the Hamza Division.
In September 2021, he became the deputy leader of the Syrian Front for Liberation. As part of these groups, Bulad has become an important ally of Turkey within the armed Syrian opposition, and has served as the de facto military governor of al-Bab since 2017 as well.
- ^ Heras 2018, p. 14.
- ^ Heras 2018, p. 12.
- ^ "Among the Free Syrian Army". TRT World. 16 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Hamza Brigade's Leader: Few Hours Later We Will Raise The Victory Signs in Bab City (Video)". Qasioun News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "Iran Update, March 24, 2025". Institute for the Study of War. 24 March 2025.
- ^ a b Fevzi Kızılkoyun (13 August 2022). "Suriye Milli Ordusu Komutanı Seyf Ebubekir Polat, Hürriyet'e konuştu: Şanlı Türk bayrağı sığınağımız oldu [Syrian National Army Commander Seyf Ebubekir Polat spoke to Hürriyet: The glorious Turkish flag has become our shelter]". Hürriyet.
- ^ Heras 2018, p. 11.
- ^ Colin P. Clarke; Ahmet S. Yayla (31 December 2018). "The United States Can't Rely on Turkey to Defeat ISIS". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (29 May 2020). "Clashes in Syria's Turkish-occupied Afrin leave 3 civilians dead". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
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