4th Armoured Division (Syria)
The 4th Armoured Division (Arabic: الفرقة الرابعة, romanized: al-Firqa ar-Rābiʿah) is an elite formation of the Syrian Army whose primary purpose is to defend the Syrian government from internal and external threats.
History[]
The division has its roots in the Defense Companies commanded by Rifaat al-Assad, younger brother of President Hafez al-Assad. After Rifaat was banished from Syria in 1984, the Defense Companies were reorganised into the 569th Armoured Division, and later into the 4th Armoured Division.[9]
The Division is regarded by some as the best trained and best equipped of the Syrian Army.[10] The 4th Armoured Division, the Republican Guard, and Syria's secret police form the heart of the country's security forces. As a result, the Division is drawn mostly from members of the same Alawite group as the Assad family.[11] About 80 percent of the division's soldiers and officers are Alawites and nearly 90 percent of them are career soldiers, in contrast to the conscripts who comprise most of the army's other units.[12]
The Division has a military base in the south of Damascus, covering about 91 square kilometres (35 sq mi) and including several mountain bunkers. Its main entrance gate is located next to the village of Al-Horjelah.
Syrian civil war[]
During the uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, the 4th Armoured Division played a key role in attempting to put down uprisings, being sent to quell protests in the southern city of Daraa, the coastal city of Baniyas, the central province of Homs and the northern province of Idlib. Alawite officers from the 4th Armoured Division have been sent to other formations within the Syrian army in an attempt by the government to keep a closer eye and firmer grip on many Sunni dominated formations,[13] with the officers sent from the division relying on the division's fearsome reputation to keep soldiers in line.
Both the division as a whole and its component parts have been accused of engaging in human rights abuses during the Syrian uprising, such as arbitrary arrests and beatings, and the shooting of unarmed protesters.[14] Their use by the Syrian regime in the uprising has led to many of the division's commanders being subject to EU sanctions and travel bans.
Coordinates: 33°22′1.91″N 36°18′29.22″E / 33.3671972°N 36.3081167°E
A July 2013 report by a pro-government websites stated that Maher al-Assad had been commanding troops in the Aleppo and Homs theatre of operations.[15]
Later on, there were reports of their control over international border crossings, such as Nasib Border Crossing and other illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, which are used as financial sources to cover their expenses.[16]
Drug trade[]
The New York Times reported in December 2021 that the 4th Armoured Division oversees much of the production and distribution of Captagon, among other drugs. The unit controls manufacturing facilities, packing plants, and smuggling networks all across Syria (which have started to also move crystal meth). The division's security bureau, headed by Maj. Gen. , provides protection for factories and along smuggling routes to the port city Latakia and to border crossings with Jordan and Lebanon.[17]
Battle order[]
- 40th Armored Brigade
- 41st Armored Brigade
- 42nd Armored Brigade
- 138th Mechanized Brigade
- 154th Artillery Regiment
- 63rd Artillery Regiment
- 555th Special Forces Regiment (Airborne)
- Protective Lions (Commandos), formed in May 2014.
- National Shield
- Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba Syrian-wing [18]
References[]
- ^ "Syrian rebel leader to Haaretz: Assad's opposition will secure chemical weapons". Haaretz. 28 May 2012.
- ^ "Kofi Annan's plan is destined to fail". CNN. 27 March 2012.
- ^ "Syria's army holds the key to Assad regime's future". Channel 4 News. 13 June 2011.
- ^ "Elite Syrian troops sent to embattled Homs". AlertNet. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ "US imposes sanctions against Syria's intelligence service, officials". Sify News. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Council Regulation concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011".
- ^ "Consolidated list of financial targets in the UK".
- ^ http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/SyrianArmy-DocOOB.pdf
- ^ http://gradworks.umi.com/3330856.pdf
- ^ "In unending turmoil, Syria's Assad turns to family". The Guardian. London. 23 January 2008.
- ^ "'The enforcer' who heads Syria's dreaded army division". France 24. March 2012.
- ^ "Syrian rebel leader to Haaretz: Assad's opposition will secure chemical weapons". Haaretz.com. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "Army defectors are operating clandestinely in Damascus". Al Jazeera English.
- ^ "Appendix 1: Structure and Command of Armed Forces and Intelligence Agencies". Human Rights Watch. 15 December 2011.
- ^ "Account Suspended". Archived from the original on 15 May 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "Nassib Crossing: Disputes over control and search for illegal financial returns". enabbaladi.net. 4 April 2020.
- ^ Hubbar d, Ben; Saad, Hwaida (5 December 2021). "On Syria's Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 December 2021 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Harakat al-Nujaba': Interview".
 Syrian security forces | |
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| Military |
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| Law enforcement | |
| Intelligence | |
| Paramilitary/militia |
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- Armoured divisions of Syria
- Protective security units
- 1984 establishments in Syria
- Military units and formations established in 1984