Republican Guard (Syria)

Syrian Republican Guard
الحرس الجمهوري السوري
Republican Guard shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1976–present
Country Syria
Allegiance President of Syria
Branch Syrian Arab Army
TypePraetorian Guard
Mechanized infantry
RoleShock troops
Size25,000[1] or 60,000 guardsmen (2017)[2][3]
Garrison/HQMount Qasioun, Damascus
Tactical color marking
EngagementsYom Kippur War
Commanders
CommanderMaj. Gen. Ghassan Iskandar Tarraf[6][7]
Deputy CommanderBrig. Gen. Mohamed Qasem[8]
Chief of StaffBrig. Gen. Hussein Smia[9]
30th Division CommanderMaj. Gen. Mohamad Saftly[16]
Brigade CommandersBrig. Gen. Kamal Itiya (101th Brigade)[17]
Brig. Gen. Mundir Ibrahim (103th Brigade)[18]
Col. Assad Omran (104th Brigade)[17]
Brig. Gen. Aqil Jumaa (106th Brigade)[19]
Notable
commanders		Maj. Gen. Adnan Makhlouf
Maj. Gen. Talal Makhlouf[10]
Maj. Gen. Issam Zahreddine †[11]
Maj. Gen. Malik Aliaa[12][13]
Maj. Gen. Shoaeb Suleiman[8]
Brig. Gen. Ali Khuzam †[14]
Col. Nizar Mahmoud †[15]

The Syrian Republican Guard (SRG; Arabic: الحرس الجمهوري السوري, romanized: al-Ḥaras as-Sūrīyah al-Jumhūrīy), also known as the Presidential Guard, is an elite 25,000 man praetorian guard unit in the Syrian Army, and is reportedly at a corps size with around 60,000 guardsmen.[3][21] It is composed of two mechanized divisions with its main purpose to protect the capital of Syria, Damascus, from any foreign or domestic threats. The Republican Guard was the only Syrian military unit allowed within the capital before the civil war.[22] It is designed to defend the President as well as the major presidential and strategic institutions, including the presidential palaces.

  1. ^ "Syrian rebel leader to Haaretz: Assad's opposition will secure chemical weapons". Haaretz. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference NewRg2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Сколько людей и оружия по обе линии сирийского противостояния". Газета.Ru. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. ^ Holliday, Joseph (March 2013). "The Assad Regime, From Counterinsurgency to Civil War Middle East Security Report 8" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  5. ^ ABC News. "Government Troops Advance in Syria's Largest City". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  6. ^ Gregory Waters (31 October 2023). "Ghassan was appointed head of the SRG on Oct 15. Just 6 years ago he was promoted from head of the 1018th Battalion to command the 104th Brigade. June 2020 he left DeZ & took command of the 123rd Brig". Twitter. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Highly decorated general to replace Zahreddine as leader of Republican Guard in Deir Ezzor". Al-Masdar News. 22 October 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  8. ^ a b "EU sanctions Assad, senior Syrian officers". NPA Syria. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Brigadier General Hussein Smia (from Kilmakho, #Qardaha_District) as chief of staff of the #Republican_Guard".
  10. ^ "TALAL SHAFIQ MAKHLOUF".
  11. ^ Ensor, Josie (18 October 2017). "Top Syrian general killed by Isil landmine near Deir Ezzor". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  12. ^ "New UK sanctions targeting Assad regime for repressing the Syrian people". GOV.UK. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  13. ^ Leith Aboufadel (28 December 2018). "Syrian military names new commander of elite Republican Guard". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  14. ^ Operation to break #ISIS-imposed siege on #DeirEzZor is called "The Prince of Martyrs" in memory of Brigadier General Ali Khuzam
  15. ^ Gregory Waters (15 May 2019). "Col Nizar Mahmoud, commander of the 800th Battalion #Republican_Guard died either in #Hama or #Abu_Dhuhur #Idlib". Twitter. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  16. ^ Gregory Waters (12 April 2024). "Changes to Syria's special forces this week: Recently appointed Mohamad Saftly moved to command 30th SRG Division. Replaced as head of Special Forces by Suhail Hassan. Suhail replaced as head of 25th Div by former senior Tiger commander, current 30th Div commander Saleh Abdullah". Twitter. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  17. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference auto1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "Exclusive: Over 900 Syrian Marines join elite military shield forces". 23 February 2017.
  19. ^ Gregory Waters (20 November 2019). "Return to the northeast: Syrian Army deployments against Turkish forces". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Internal Server Error". Janes.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  21. ^ Gregory Waters (11 December 2018). "Syria's Republican Guard: growth and fragmentation" (PDF). Middle East Institute. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  22. ^ MEIB (August 2000). "Syria's Praetorian Guards: A Primer". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 2 (7). Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2011.