The Republican Guard ( Arabic: الحرس الجمهوري السوري ; or the Presidential Guard ) is an elite military force in the Syrian army designed to protect the Syrian government from internal and external threats and maintain security in central Damascus , especially the and the area where officials live Syrian government. This is the only formation whose placement is allowed in the center of the Syrian capital [1] .
| Syrian Republican Guard Arab. الحرس الجمهوري السوري | |
|---|---|
 Sleeve patch | |
| Years of existence | since 1976 |
| A country |  Syria |
| Subordination | Syrian President |
| Included in | Ground troops |
| Type of | Elite troops , guard |
| Number | 10,000 [1] |
| Dislocation | Mount Jebel Qassiyun , Damascus |
| Participation in | Syrian Civil War :
|
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major General Shoaeb Suleiman |
| Famous commanders | Adlan mahlouf Ali Mahmoud Bashar al-Assad Maher al-Assad Basil al-Assad |
History
1976—2011
The Guard was created in 1976 by a decision of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad after a series of attacks by anti-Syrian Palestinian groups in Damascus that oppose Syria’s participation in the Lebanese civil war . The first commander was appointed Adlan Mahlouf, the cousin of Assad’s wife [1] . Only persons of undoubted loyalty to the Syrian regime were appointed to the officer corps of the guard. According to some reports, in order to guarantee the long-term loyalty of the members of the Republican Guard, they are allowed to receive a significant share of oil production revenue in the province of Deir ez-Zor . In 1995, Mahlouf was released from command after a conflict with Bashar al-Assad . He was replaced by Alawite Ali Mahmoud Hassan [1] .
Many members of the Assad family served in the Republican Guard, in particular Bashar Assad commanded a tank brigade and had the rank of colonel , as well as Maher Asad and Basil Asad [2]
Civil War
During the civil war of 2011 - 2014, the Republican Guard, along with the 4th armored division of Maher Assad, is one of the most reliable and combat-ready formations of the Syrian government .
Guard units are involved in military operations against opposition groups in the area of key cities such as Damascus [3] , Aleppo [4] , Homs [5] , Es-Saura [6] and others.
Structure and Features
At the beginning of 2011, the Republican Guard included three mechanized brigades and two “security regiments”. The general structure is similar to a motorized rifle division , but like the 4th armored division, the guard is equipped with the best equipment.
The vast majority of the guard consists of representatives of the Muslim religious minority - the Alawites , including the closest relatives of the Asad family [7] [8] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 MEIB. Syria's Praetorian Guards: A Primer (Neopr.) // Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. - 2000. - August ( t. 2 , No. 7 ).
- ↑ Bashar's Syria: The Regime and its Strategic
- ↑ Activists: Syrian rebels clash with elite troops (June 26, 2012). Date of treatment May 6, 2013.
- ↑ Syrian troops advance in Aleppo in attempt to choke off rebels in country largest city
- ↑ Syria sends elite troops to Homs, activists say . NOW Lebanon (February 28, 2012). Date of appeal April 21, 2012. (unavailable link)
- ↑ Syrian Republican Guards Newly Formed 124th Arrives at Tabqa Airbase
- ↑ [1] The Syrian Army. Doctrinal order of battle
- ↑ Making Sense of the Syrian Crisis