title: Saber Safar
text: # Saber Safar
  
  Saber Safar Fares (Arabic: صابر صفر فارس) is a Free Syrian Army colonel, who defected from the Syrian Armed Forces to the FSA in 2013. He was the founder and commander of the Hamza Division and also holds the position of overall commander in the First Army of the Southern Front since 1 January 2015. As of late 2015, he was reportedly the highest ranking FSA officer in southern Syria.
  
  ## History
  
  In August 2015, Saber Safar survived an assassination attempt in the 1st Army headquarters in the town of Abtaa.
  
  