Ahmad Al Odeh, centre, had refused to merge his Eighth Brigade militia with the new Syrian government's army. AFP
Ahmad Al Odeh, centre, had refused to merge his Eighth Brigade militia with the new Syrian government's army. AFP
Ahmad Al Odeh, centre, had refused to merge his Eighth Brigade militia with the new Syrian government's army. AFP
Ahmad Al Odeh, centre, had refused to merge his Eighth Brigade militia with the new Syrian government's army. AFP

Powerful southern Syrian militia disbands under pressure from government


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

A militia controlling a strategic area of southern Syria has disbanded after coming under political and military pressure from the new government in Damascus, in a boost to President Ahmad Al Shara's drive to bring all armed groups in the country under its control.

The peaceful dissolution of the 3,000-strong Eighth Brigade militia, announced by its spokesman late on Sunday, follows a new approach by the central authorities in dealing with holdout groups, based on projecting strength while trying to avoid major confrontation.

The government faced an international outcry after its campaign to quell opposition in Syria's coastal region, the heartland of the Alawite sect that formed the core support of ousted president Bashar Al Assad, flared up into sectarian massacres last month.

A video statement from spokesman Akram Al Horani said the Eighth Brigade, which had controlled areas near the border with Jordan in southern Syria for the past seven years, had "completely disbanded" and started handing over its weapons to the government to "strengthen security and stability and the sovereignty state".

Mr Al Shara's militant group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, led a rebel offensive that toppled Mr Al Assad in December, ending nearly 14 years of civil war. Since then his government has been seeking establish control over the country by incorporating the myriad militias, mostly formed during the civil war, into a new national army, with posts for their leaders, or by crushing them. On March 6, HTS forces overran the southern city of Sanamayn, ending a threat from a warlord called Mohammad Al Humaid, who had refused to disband.

The Eighth Brigade, whose power base was centred in and around the historic city of Busra Al Sham, refused to join the new army despite having committed to do so in January, mainly because its leader Ahmad Al Odeh was not offered a senior position, an HTS official told The National.

"If his force was larger, he would have been given a high rank in the new army," the official said.

Ahmad Al Odeh previously commanded a Syrian rebel force in a coalition that fought against the Assad regime with backing from the US and Arab states. AFP
Ahmad Al Odeh previously commanded a Syrian rebel force in a coalition that fought against the Assad regime with backing from the US and Arab states. AFP

A predecessor to the Eighth Brigade, also led by Mr Al Odeh, was part of a southern rebel coalition that waged an insurgency in southern Syria with US and Arab backing until 2018, when the US struck a deal with Russia for the Assad regime to take most of the area. However, Mr Al Odeh managed to preserve a large degree of independence from the regime by striking a deal with Moscow to become its surrogate.

But this time Mr Al Odeh was outmanoeuvred. The HTS official said the killing last week in Busra Al Sham of Bilal Al Masatfeh, a former militia ally of Mr Al Odeh who had turned against him and allied with HTS, set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the Eight Brigade's surrender.

Mr Al Masatfeh belonged to Al Mekdad, a large clan in Busra Al Sham. Fearing a popular backlash, Mr Al Odeh agreed to hand over four men suspected of killing Mr Al Masatfeh to the central authorities. But instead of sending a small force to collect the four men, an armoured force of 1,200 HTS fighters entered Busra Al Sham at the weekend, residents say.

An Eighth Brigade commander, who did not want to be named, told The National Mr Odeh contemplated attacking the HTS force but did not do so because it would ultimately have been a "losing battle".

"We had the power to besiege them in Busra Al Sham, but this would have been an excuse [for Mr Al Shara] to respond with a whole army," the commander said.

The HTS official said the government was unlikely to pursue Mr Al Odeh, whose whereabouts are not known, because it had achieved its objective of neutralising his militia.

The new government's efforts to extend its authority received another boost at the weekend when Kurdish militias ceded a significant degree of control over two key areas under a deal between their leader, Mazloum Abdi, and Mr Al Shara, signed last month. Government security forces entered Sheikh Maqsoud, the main Kurdish neighbourhood of Aleppo that is situated on a hilltop near the city's northern outlets. On the edge of Aleppo governorate, government forces also took control of the Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates river, which had been in the hands of Kurdish forces for a decade.

Brief scores:

Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37

South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62

Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

Ponti

Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan

THE SPECS

BMW X7 xDrive 50i

Engine: 4.4-litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission

Power: 462hp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh600,000

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Fixtures:

Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final

Table:

1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10

2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8

3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6

4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4

5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Profile of Bitex UAE

Date of launch: November 2018

Founder: Monark Modi

Based: Business Bay, Dubai

Sector: Financial services

Size: Eight employees

Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings

Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
​​​​​​​Princeton

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs

Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo

Gearbox: 7-speed automatic

Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 350Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km

Price: Dh235,000

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m

Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m

Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard

8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m

Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

How much of your income do you need to save?

The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.

In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)

Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.

 

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

SERIES INFO

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series

All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Test series

1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March

Play starts at 9.30am

T20 series

1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March

TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube

Updated: April 14, 2025, 2:34 PM