| 1st Corps | |
|---|---|
| الفيلق الأول | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Flag_of_the_Syrian_Arab_Armed_Forces.svg) Syrian Armed Forces Flag | |
| Active | 1985 – present[1] |
| Country |  Syria |
| Allegiance |  Syrian Armed Forces |
| Branch |  Syrian Army |
| Type | Corps |
| Size | up to 45,000 soldiers[2] |
| Garrison/HQ | Damascus Daraa (5th Division)[2] Latakia (6th Division) Aleppo (7th Division) Daraa (9th Division) As-Suwayda (15th Division) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | Maj. Gen. Suhail Asaad[3] |
| Chief of Staff | Maj. Gen. Hatem Abbas[4] |
The 1st Corps (Arabic: الفيلق الأول) is a corps of the Syrian Army that was first formed in 1985. Richard Bennett wrote in 2001 that "three corps [were] formed in 1985 to give the Army more flexibility and to improve combat efficiency by decentralising the command structure, absorbing at least some of the lessons learned during the 1982 Lebanon War."[5] He said that the 1st Corps covered southern Syria, in particular the heavily fortified defense zone between Damascus and the Golan Heights and south to Daraa near the border with Jordan. On 29 December 2022, Major General Suhail Asaad was appointed as commander of the 1st Army Corps of the Syrian Arab Army.[3]
- ^ Samuel M. Katz, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars, Osprey Publishing Men-at-Arms 194, 1988, 13.
- ^ a b Waters, Gregory (18 July 2019). "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ a b الفيلق الأول" السوري... في مواجهة كيان الاحتلال
- ^ Gregory Waters (30 April 2023). "M.G. Hatem Abbas now chief of staff of southern command". Twitter. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Richard M. Bennett, The Syrian Military: A Primer, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, August/September 2001.