Liwa al-Quds
Liwa al-Quds (Arabic: لواء القدس; meaning the Jerusalem Brigade) is a predominantly Syrian Palestinian paramilitary group and Syrian Army brigade that operated as a part of pro-Syrian government forces in the Syrian Civil War. In 2019, it became a 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 called themselves the "Syrian Arab Army Fedayeen" were active in Aleppo and Daraa.[3] The paramilitary was composed of Palestinian refugees 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]Liwa al-Quds was founded in 2013 as a pro-government militia, reportedly with the support of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. Syrian opposition supporters regarded 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 paramilitary groups in Aleppo Governorate. On 20 June 2016, the group 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] In March 2024, IS fighters ambushed a Liwa al-Quds vehicle carrying ammunition and guns in eastern Homs countryside, killing the three guards and capturing the cargo.[17]
Liwa al-Quds was among the loyalist units which unsuccessfully tried to halt the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.[18] As rebels advanced into Aleppo, Liwa al-Quds retreated from its local base in the Neirab camp without organizing resistance on 30 November.[19][20] After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Syrian transitional government demanded that all Palestinian armed groups in Syria disarm themselves, dissolve their military formations, and instead focus on political and charitable work.[21]
Compostition
[edit]The brigade had both Syrian Palestinian as well as native Syrian members.[10] The brigade had close connections to both Iran and Russia, and was supplied as well as trained by the Russian Armed Forces.[16][22] Its fighters referred 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.[23] In fall 2019, Liwa al-Quds became part of the Syrian Army's 5th Assault Corps as autonomous brigade.[24][25]
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.
- ^ "ISIS kills 3 militants of Liwa al-Quds in Syria's Homs". North Press Agency. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Syria's North-western Front Erupts". Crisis Group. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "ليلة انسحاب لواء القدس من مخيم النيرب". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "فرار لواء القدس من مخيم النيرب ودخول المعارضة دون قتال". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "لبنان والحدث السوري: أسئلة حول المقاومة والاقتصاد والاجتماع والحرّيات". Al Akhbar (Lebanon). 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "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.
