Abu Omar al-Idlibi

Absi al-Taha , better known by his nom de guerre Abu Omar al-Idlibi , is a Syrian military officer who served in the Free Syrian Army during the Syrian civil war. As the commander of the Northern Democratic Brigade, al-Idlibi spent most of the war working as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqqa Governorate.

Pre-war Prior to the Syrian Civil War, Abu Omar al-Idlibi worked as a construction developer.

In August 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham executed Osama al-Khader, commander of the Decisive Storm Brigade of the 21st Combined Forces, on charges including collaboration with al-Idlibi to conduct espionage and sabotage against HTS and other groups in Idlib.

The human rights group Syrians for Truth and Justice reported that the Northern Democratic Brigade confiscated dozens of deserted and unused houses in Raqqa from February 2020. When some owners returned to the city to request the return of their properties to reclaim or sell them, Abu Omar al-Idlibi and the unit refused to return the houses, citing their previous non-usage and the need to provide a place to live for the brigade's families.

In an interview with Rudaw Media Network in October 2025, he said the US-backed SDF "will become part of the formations of the new Syrian army. They will be integrated as three military formations [units] and several independent brigades, including a brigade for the Women's Protection Units".

In 2026, when the Syrian Democratic Forces joined the Syrian Army, al-Idlibi was sidelined by the government and not offered a position in the army, due to enmity between himself and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa due to conflict between their units during the civil war.