Suhail Muhammad Hamoud

Suhail Mohammed Hamoud (Arabic: سهيل محمد حمود, romanized: Suhayl Muḥammad Hammūd), popularly known by his nom de guerre Abu TOW (Arabic: أبو تاو, romanized: ʾAbū Tāw), is a Syrian rebel fighter and former military officer who rose to prominence for his skill in operating the BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile during the Syrian civil war. He had 140 confirmed hits as of 2021.

Military career and role as a rebel fighter

Prior to the Syrian Civil War, Suhail served in the Syrian Army as a warrant officer. He received training on the usage of Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles from the Field Artillery School in Aleppo. He defected to the Free Syrian Army in 2011, participating in the battles in Idlib Governorate and the countryside south of Aleppo.

In a 2016 interview with al-Monitor, he said, "I was trained in the Syrian army to use the Russian Malyutka and Red Arrow anti-armor missiles, which are not so different from the TOW missiles but do not enjoy the same precision, so I gained experience in dealing with all anti-armor missiles both in terms of structure and trajectory and regardless of their points of strength or weakness." Elaborating on his success with anti-tank missiles, he said, "I destroyed around 70 targets, of which 57 machineries were destroyed through TOW missiles and 11 machineries through the Malyutka missiles. These targets included planes, tanks, armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers in addition to DShK machine guns."

Before joining the Sham Legion, he was a fighter in the Hazzm Movement and later the 101st Infantry Division, the 1st Coastal Division and 13th Division. All of these groups received support from the United States, including the provision of BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles.

While a member of the Hazzm Movement, he fought battles against Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front between 2014 and 2015.

"From the beginning, Suhail was known for his hatred of Nusra Front," according to his friend Ahmad Barakat, interviewed by The Daily Beast.