21 Facts About Mahmoud Da'as

Mahmoud Da'as was a high-ranking commander of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, serving as long-time member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council and Supreme Military Council.

Mahmoud Da'as joined the PLO in 1967, and defected from the JAF during the Black September of 1970.

Mahmoud Da'as was born to ethnic Palestinian parents in Hajjah, a village located in the Qalqilya District of Mandatory Palestine.

Mahmoud Da'as completed his primary and secondary education in al-Karak, and then joined the Royal Jordanian Army's academy.

Mahmoud Da'as was appointed commander of the 7th Company in the corps' 2nd Battalion, and was promoted to head of the entire 2nd Battalion and lieutenant colonel.

Mahmoud Da'as was again temporarily arrested in 1966, and joined the Palestine Liberation Organisation in the following year.

Mahmoud Da'as was one of those who sided with the PLO, and defected in Jerash.

Mahmoud Da'as was appointed deputy commander of the PLO's so-called "Yarmouk Forces".

Mahmoud Da'as relocated to Syria, where he took part in Fatah's third conference at Hamouriyah in September 1971.

Mahmoud Da'as was appointed member of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah during this conference, and promoted to commander of the Yarmouk Forces in 1972.

Mahmoud Da'as consequently assumed command of PLO troops stationed in Mount Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.

The Tanzanians began their attack on Kampala on 10 April 1979, and the PLO troops under Mahmoud Da'as reportedly resisted some time before retreating northward.

Mahmoud Da'as managed to bring his surviving men to Sudan despite being hindered by bad roads, a hostile population, and dangerous wildlife.

Mahmoud Da'as was appointed member of the Supreme Military Council of the Palestinian Revolution during Fatah's fourth conference in Damascus in May 1980.

Mahmoud Da'as was sent to East Germany, where he signed an agreement with General Helmut Borufka, inspector general of the National People's Army, on 19 April 1982.

In course of this conflict, Mahmoud Da'as served as Director of Officer Affairs and Fortifications and took part in the fighting against the Israel Defense Forces, including during the Siege of Beirut.

Mahmoud Da'as was appointed External Security Officer in the PLO's Political Department in 1985, and was brigadier by the following year.

Mahmoud Da'as subsequently rose to major general and was promoted to head of the Security and Intelligence Committee in 1993.

Mahmoud Da'as was elected deputy in the Palestinian Legislative Council, holding a seat until 2005.

Mahmoud Da'as continued to take part in important military and diplomatic missions in the name of the PLO and Fatah.

Mahmoud Da'as was buried with full military honors at his birthplace of Hajjah.