Lions of Hussein

Lions of Hussein
Arabic: لواء أسود الحسين
LeadersMuhammad Tawfiq al-Assad †[1]
Hussein Tawfiq al-Assad[2]
Dates of operation1980s – 2015 (as Shabiha and criminal organization)[1]
2015 – present (as official militia)[2]
Allegiance
HeadquartersQardaha
Active regionsSyria
IdeologyPro-Syrian government[3]
Anti-Wahhabism[4]
Sizec. 1,000 (2014)[4]
Part of
Allies
OpponentsSyrian opposition Syrian opposition and allied mujahideen
 Islamic State
border=no Army of Conquest
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

The Guardians of Syria Forces - Lions of Hussein (Arabic: قوات حماة سوريا - أسود الحسين, Quwat Humat Souriya - Usud al-Hussein), formerly known as Lions of Hussein Brigade (Arabic: لواء أسود الحسين, Liwa Usud al-Hussein) and often shortened to Lions of Hussein, are an Alawite militia which fights for the Ba'athist government during the Syrian Civil War. The unit originates as Shabiha, a criminal organization that has operated in Latakia Governorate since the 1980s, and only adopted its current name and appearance in 2015. Since then, the Lions of Hussein reportedly continued their "criminal activities on the side".[1]

  1. ^ a b c Vincent Beshara; Cody Roche (11 December 2016). "Assad Regime Militias and Shi'ite Jihadis in the Syrian Civil War". Bellingcat. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (14 February 2016). "Liwa Usud al-Hussein: A New Pro-Assad Militia in Latakia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. ^ Grinstead 2017, p. 7.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference support was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Streitkräfte des Assad-Regimes, Februar 2017" [Armed forces of the Assad regime, February 2017] (PDF). Truppendienst.com (Austrian Armed Forces) (in German). 15 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  6. ^ @IvanSidorenko1 (1 March 2016). "#Syria #Aleppo #EasternAleppo Photo Today from a Liwa Usud al-hussein #SAA #SyrianArabArmy #SyrianArmy Soldier" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 January 2017 – via Twitter.[dead link‍]


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