Liwa al-Quds
Liwa al-Quds (Arabic: لواء القدس) or the Jerusalem Brigade is a predominantly Syrian Palestinian brigade that operates as a part of pro-Syrian government forces in the Syrian Civil War. Since 2019, it is part of the Syrian Army's 5th Assault Corps.[3] It was formed in 2013 by the engineer Muhammad al-Sa'eed. The fighters who call themselves the 'Syrian Arab Army Fedayeen' are active in Aleppo and Daraa.[3] The brigade is composed of Sunni Palestinians from the Neirab camp[7] and Ein Al-Tal camp as well as reconciled rebels.[1]
Command structure
[edit]- Al-Quds Brigade (2021)
- Lions of al-Quds Battalion[3]
- Defenders of Aleppo Battalion[8]
- Deterrence Battalion[4]
- Lions of al-Shahba Battalion[9]
Combat history
[edit]The militia was founded in 2013, reportedly with the support of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. Syrian opposition supporters regard them as Shabiha.[10]
By the beginning of 2015, the group had suffered 200 killed and over 400 wounded since its establishment.[4] The group supported the Syrian Army in its effort to reopen the main supply line to Aleppo in late 2015.[11]
By mid-2016, it had become one of the most important pro-government militias in Aleppo Governorate. On 20 June 2016, the militia took part in a prisoner exchange with three rebel factions, namely the Sultan Murad Division, the Muntasir Billah Brigade, and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, in coordination with Ahrar al-Sham.[10]
In June 2017, Liwa al-Quds launched a recruitment campaign in Homs Governorate, where it aimed at enlisting young Palestinian refugees.[12][13]
In May 2018 Liwa al-Quds was fighting against the ISIL pocket in the desert of Deir ez-Zor Governorate as a part of joint operation with the NDF and SAA forces. Liwa al-Quds captured village of Faydat Umm Muwaynah.[14]
In July 2018, Samer Rafe, a prominent commander of the militia, was arrested in Latakia after a firefight with government forces. He had previously been arrested on charges of robbery in Aleppo, confessed to the charges, and served a prison term of one year before being released.[15]
In the first half of 2019, Liwa al-Quds suffered heavy casualties on multiple fronts, most notably during Operation Dawn of Idlib.[16]
Compostition
[edit]The brigade has both Syrian Palestinian as well as native Syrian members.[10] The brigade has close connections to both Iran and Russia, and is supplied as well as trained by the Russian Armed Forces.[16][17] Its fighters refer to themselves as "Syrian Arab Army Fedayeen", showcasing their loyalty to the Syrian military.[16] Before the government victory in the Battle of Aleppo, the brigade consisted of three main battalions, which are: Lions of al-Quds Battalion, which operated in al-Nayrab camp and its surrounding as well as in southern and eastern countryside of Aleppo; the Deterrence Battalion, which operated in the north Aleppo countryside south of the villages of Nubl and Al-Zahraa; and the Lions of al-Shahba' Battalion, which operated inside Aleppo city.
By 2018, the group had started recruiting former Syrian rebels that agreed to join pro-government military units as part of reconciliation deals with the Syrian government. More than 150 former Free Syrian Army fighters had joined Liwa al-Quds by 2019. They received military training and supervision from Russian officers during the first quarter of 2019.[18] In fall 2019, Liwa al-Quds became part of the Syrian Army's 5th Assault Corps as autonomous brigade.[19][20]
See also
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References
[edit]- ^ a b "The Jamestown Foundation: October 2014 Briefs". The Jamestown Foundation.
- ^ "Country information and guidance: the Syrian civil war, Syria, August 2020" (PDF). 10 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d Al-Jabassini, Abdullah (2019). From Insurgents to Soldiers: The Fifth Assault Corps in Daraa, Southern Syria. Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria. European University Institute. ISBN 978-92-9084-767-0.
- ^ a b c d "Syria Comment » Archives Overview of some pro-Assad Militias - Syria Comment". Syria Comment. Archived from the original on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
- ^ Chris Tomson (28 November 2016). "Senior Palestinian paramilitary commander killed by rebel forces in Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ "Russian influence evident in Palestinian militia in Syria". Long War Journal. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ Mousa, Ashraf (2019). "Palestinians in the Syrian Uprising: the situation on the ground". Syria Studies. 11 (2): 44–62. ISSN 2056-3175.
- ^ "The Palestinian al-Quds Brigade has a new Iran-backed militia for fighting in Aleppo". Al-Dorar al-Shamia. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "The Palestinian al-Quds Brigade has a new Iran-backed militia for fighting in Aleppo". Al-Dorar al-Shamia. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "Rebels, regime made prisoner swap in Aleppo: source". Zaman al-Wasl. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ Leith Fadel (24 October 2015). "Breaking: Syrian Army Reopens the Ithriyah-Salamiyah Road in East Hama After Defeating ISIS". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ "Liwa al Quds militia Recruits Palestinian refugees of Homs". Al-Dorar Al-Shamia. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "موقع المقاومة الإسلامية عصائب أهل الحق - العصائب وكسر الأسوار". ahlualhaq.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ^ Aboufadel, Leith (7 May 2018). "Syrian Army launches massive assault in western Deir Ezzor, liberates large area". Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ "Member of AlQuds Brigade Arrested by Gov't Forces". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Caleb Weiss (3 June 2019). "Palestinian militia reports high number of fatalities on Syria's frontlines". Long War Journal. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Liwa al-Quds, the Sunni face of Iran-backed militias". en.zamanalwsl.net. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ al-Khateb, Khaled (2019-06-13). "Ex-FSA fighters recruited by Damascus to fight opposition in northern Syria". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- ^ "Liwa al-Quds Conscript Reconciliations Fighters and Loses Them in Hama". The Syrian Observer. 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- ^ وعالم, المدن-عرب. ""لواء القدس" يُجنّدُ مقاتلي "المصالحات".. ويخسرهم في حماة". almodon (in Arabic). Retrieved 2019-06-16.
