Overview
- Major-General Kamal Hassan and Rami Makhlouf are competing from exile to build militia influence in Alawite areas, especially along the coast.
- Financial records reviewed by Reuters attribute about $1.5 million and 12,000 claimed fighters to Hassan, and about $6 million and at least 54,000 to Makhlouf.
- Both camps seek control of 14 underground command rooms and weapons caches on the coast, with photos showing rifles, ammunition, grenades and communications gear.
- Local commanders say fighters receive roughly $20–$30 a month and often accept money from both sides, underscoring weak loyalties and economic motives.
- Russia is hosting the exiles without clear backing, and Syria’s government is countering through Alawite interlocutor Khaled al-Ahmad as Tartous officials say the threat remains limited.