73:
90:
31:
55:
186:
510:
Opposition reports specifically cited activity from the 556th
Special Forces Regiment, but most frequently cited the 14th Special Forces Division generally. Activity was reported in different parts of the city during similar time-frames, suggesting that at least one additional regiment from the 14th
417:
in the '70s and early '80s ate live snakes as part of their training while children being trained in paramilitary activities were trained to stab live puppies to death. Syrian special forces also ate live scorpions, live snakes, and live puppies during training. Syrian soldiers are also trained to
1076:
1041:"SAA rebuilding has been ongoing but the 14th & 15th Divs are really messed up (don't even have battalion or brigade numbers anymore) & will likely have to be rebuilt from scratch"
567:
518:
Since 2019, it was reorganized and rebuild with new graduates of the military academies. The old battalions and brigades were destroyed, and had to be rebuilt from scratch.
451:
sect to ensure loyalty to the government. Intelligence sources state it is likely that such units are involved in crushing popular dissent and neutralizing ringleaders.
234:
224:
428:
Haydar's
Special Forces expanded in size to 25,000 men, and formed a key part of the Syrian government's security apparatus. The Special Forces were trained in
1081:
771:
547:
575:
358:
divisions, as well as the independent 'special forces' regiments, but they more closely resemble conventional light infantry units, than
476:
219:
480:
1040:
1014:
1086:
422:
265:
988:
421:
The 14th
Special Forces Division was established to command three Special Forces Regiments after the mid 1990s restructuring of
1015:"This is also planned to be used to rebuild the 14th & 15th Special Forces Divisions and old units of the Republican Guard"
622:
440:. As such, the 14th Division became a strong counter-weight to the Defense Companies, as both these formations were largely
532:
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114:
730:"Syrian TV from 1984 - Female Soldiers Eating Live Snakes, President Assad in Audience, April 3, 2012"
376:
operations, but they should be regarded as light infantry forces and elite only in relation to the
331:
77:
459:
Under the command of Ali Haidar, the
Special Forces units were deployed to Lebanon as part of the
464:
199:
138:
118:
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441:
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122:
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The term
Special Forces has been applied ostensibly because of their specialized training in
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The government committed much of the 14th
Special Forces Division to the assault of
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30:
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884:
863:
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817:
796:
750:
729:
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499:, in which it fought some of the strongest rebel positions of Homs’ southwest
568:"Confirmed: Syrian Army's full order of battle for east Damascus offensive"
185:
500:
174:
989:"The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth"
885:"syrian special force eating snake scorpion الجيش السوري القوات الخاصة"
448:
709:"Syrian Dictator Hafez al-Assad's army biting snakes killing animals"
636:"Chain of Command in the Syrian Military: Formal and Informal Tracks"
60:
496:
288:
354:
Syrians use the term 'Special Forces' to describe the 14th,
906:"Syrian soldiers dominate all snakes: vipers and terrorist"
623:
Major
General Mofied Hasan, Commander of the 14th Division.
751:"Syrian Girls eating snakes alive (Rifaat's commandos)"
1077:
Military units and formations established in the 1990s
928:"The Assad Regime from counterinsurgency to civil war"
955:"Syria's army holds the key to Assad regime's future"
599:"Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib"
864:"Syrian Dictator Hafez al-Assad Bizarre Army Parade"
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258:
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83:
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48:
40:
18:
660:Syria - The Special Forces and the Elite Units
8:
290:14th Special Forces Division (February 2013)
673:"The Syrian Army Doctrinal Order of Battle"
235:As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018)
225:Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)
447:Traditionally they are recruited from the
285:
432:, and were rivaled on power only by the
425:’s consolidated Special Forces Command.
338:operations. The Division is part of the
818:"سرايا الدفاع السورية سلاح السفاح رفعت"
559:
471:and in some cases cooperating with the
413:Women special military forces from the
380:armored and mechanized brigades of the
655:
653:
15:
772:"GRAPHIC: Snake-Eating Soldier Girls"
634:Muhsen al-Mustafa (9 November 2021).
548:List of military special forces units
7:
1039:Gregory Waters (26 September 2024).
638:. Omran Center for strategic studies
1082:Special forces units and formations
511:Special Forces was involved in the
479:. During the war they engaged with
393:14th Special Forces Division (2019)
327:
574:. 18 February 2018. Archived from
477:Lebanese National Resistance Front
14:
365:in both mission and composition.
597:Gregory Waters (12 March 2019).
184:
88:
71:
53:
29:
1013:Gregory Waters (14 June 2019).
987:Gregory Waters (18 July 2019).
436:controlled by Hafez's brother,
328:فرقة القوات الخاصة الرابعة عشرة
308:556th 'Special Forces' Regiment
305:554th 'Special Forces' Regiment
24:فرقة القوات الخاصة الرابعة عشرة
935:Institute for the Study of War
680:Institute for the Study of War
455:Syrian intervention in Lebanon
302:36th 'Special Forces' Regiment
1:
513:operation of recapturing Homs
404:556th Special Forces Regiment
401:554th Special Forces Regiment
230:2018 Southern Syria offensive
220:Battle of Harasta (2017–2018)
528:15th Special Forces Division
398:36th Special Forces Regiment
320:14th Special Forces Division
19:14th Special Forces Division
507:, and Jobar neighborhoods.
483:units under the command of
35:Syrian Special Forces Patch
1108:
972:Sami M., Moubayed (2006).
543:List of paratrooper forces
473:Lebanese National Movement
976:. Cune Press. p. 55.
926:Holliday, Joseph (2013).
841:. YouTube. Archived from
671:Holliday, Joseph (2013).
467:. It provided support to
215:Damascus offensive (2013)
28:
23:
1087:Special forces of Syria
330:) is a division of the
276:Maj. Gen. Fuad Masaoud
274:Maj. Gen. Mufid Hassan
181:Tactical color marking
143:Unconventional warfare
993:Middle East Institute
887:. YouTube. 2009-05-04
866:. YouTube. 2011-03-08
820:. YouTube. 2011-03-09
799:. YouTube. 2011-05-16
753:. YouTube. 2012-04-03
711:. YouTube. 2011-03-10
115:Close-quarters combat
44:early 1990s – present
797:"سرايا الدفاع سورية"
698:Holliday, 2013, p.10
603:International Review
533:4th Armored Division
461:Syrian intervention
430:airborne operations
332:Syrian Armed Forces
254:Maj. Gen. Ali Asaad
78:Syrian Armed Forces
1072:Divisions of Syria
465:Lebanese Civil War
442:airborne divisions
200:Lebanese Civil War
139:Special operations
119:Counter-insurgency
434:Defense Companies
415:Defense Companies
388:Command structure
315:
314:
280:
279:
251:Current Commander
123:Counter-terrorism
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538:Republican Guard
491:Syrian Civil War
334:specializing in
329:
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205:Syrian Civil War
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961:. 13 June 2011.
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418:handle vipers.
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271:Bassel al-Assad
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974:Steel and Silk
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959:Channel 4 News
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578:on 13 May 2019
572:Al-Masdar News
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469:Kamal Jumblatt
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409:Combat history
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363:Special Forces
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135:Reconnaissance
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845:on 2016-02-02
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485:Yasser Arafat
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282:Military unit
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210:Siege of Homs
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147:Urban warfare
144:
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127:Direct action
124:
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1048:. Retrieved
1044:
1034:
1022:. Retrieved
1018:
1008:
998:20 September
996:. Retrieved
992:
982:
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949:
938:. Retrieved
934:
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910:. Retrieved
900:
889:. Retrieved
879:
868:. Retrieved
858:
847:. Retrieved
843:the original
833:
822:. Retrieved
812:
801:. Retrieved
791:
780:. Retrieved
778:. 2011-03-11
776:Military.com
775:
766:
755:. Retrieved
745:
734:. Retrieved
724:
713:. Retrieved
703:
694:
683:. Retrieved
679:
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640:. Retrieved
629:
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606:. Retrieved
602:
592:
580:. Retrieved
576:the original
562:
517:
509:
494:
458:
446:
427:
420:
412:
378:conventional
367:
353:
319:
317:
161:Part of
1024:11 November
582:20 February
382:Syrian Army
374:air assault
340:Syrian Army
193:Engagements
171:Garrison/HQ
156:3 regiments
95:Syrian Army
1066:Categories
940:2022-03-24
912:2016-01-08
891:2016-01-08
870:2016-01-08
849:2016-01-08
824:2016-01-08
803:2016-01-08
782:2016-01-08
757:2016-01-08
736:2016-01-08
715:2016-01-08
685:2022-03-24
554:References
423:Ali Haydar
296:Components
269:Maj. Gen.
266:Ali Haydar
264:Maj. Gen.
261:commanders
246:Commanders
67:Allegiance
908:. YouTube
839:"YouTube"
732:. YouTube
344:2nd Corps
165:2nd Corps
1092:Damascus
1050:30 March
642:31 March
608:22 March
522:See also
501:Baba Amr
370:airborne
175:Damascus
1045:Twitter
1019:Twitter
505:Inshaat
463:in the
449:Alawite
360:Western
259:Notable
131:Raiding
49:Country
438:Rifaat
324:Arabic
84:Branch
58:
41:Active
931:(PDF)
676:(PDF)
61:Syria
1052:2024
1026:2023
1000:2022
644:2024
610:2023
584:2018
497:Homs
475:and
372:and
356:15th
350:Role
318:The
153:Size
111:Role
101:Type
481:PLO
342:'s
1068::
1043:.
1017:.
991:.
957:.
933:.
774:.
678:.
652:^
601:.
570:.
515:.
503:,
487:.
444:.
384:.
346:.
326::
1054:.
1028:.
1002:.
943:.
915:.
894:.
873:.
852:.
827:.
806:.
785:.
760:.
739:.
718:.
688:.
646:.
612:.
586:.
322:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
