30th Division (Syria)
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 30th Division
| native_name = الفرقة 30 الحرس الجمهوري
| image = File:Syrian Republican Guard Symbol.svg
| image_size = 150px
| alt =
| caption = Republican Guard shoulder sleeve insignia
| dates = January 2017–2024
| disbanded = December 2024
| allegiance = {{flagicon image|Seal of the President of Syria (1980–2024).svg}} President of Syria
| branch = {{army|Syria}}
| type = Commando
Mechanized infantry
Special forces
| role =
| country = {{flagicon image|Flag of the United Arab Republic (1958–1971), Flag of Syria (1980–2024).svg}} Ba'athist Syria
| size = 30,000 guardsmen (as of 2017){{cite web|url=http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2015/09/30_a_7788269.shtml|title=Сколько людей и оружия по обе линии сирийского противостояния|work=Газета.Ru|access-date=20 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731174449/http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2015/09/30_a_7788269.shtml|archive-date=31 July 2016|url-status=live}}
| command_structure = 23px Republican Guard
| garrison = Aleppo
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| battles = {{tree list}}
- Syrian Civil War
- Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- Northwestern Syria clashes (December 2022–present)
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| commander1_label = Current Commander
| commander2 = Maj. Gen. Nizar Yunis{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GregoryPWaters/status/1653820466535038978?t=g0Qxg8NKIutEQEKePu9fzg&s=19|title=Maj General Nizar Yunis has been appointed head of the Aleppo Security & Military Committee}}
| commander2_label = Deputy Commander
| commander3 =
| commander3_label = Chief of Staff
| commander4 = Brig. Gen. Aqil Jumaa {{small|(106th Brigade)}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/return-northeast-syrian-army-deployments-against-turkish-forces|title=Return to the northeast: Syrian Army deployments against Turkish forces|website=Middle East Institute|date=20 November 2019|access-date=20 November 2023|author=Gregory Waters}}
| commander4_label = Brigade Commanders
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| notable_commanders = Maj. Gen. Ziad Ali Salah
Maj. Gen. Zeid Salih
Maj. Gen. Malik Aliaa
Maj. Gen. Saleh Abdullah{{Cite web|url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/tiger-forces-16th-brigade-russias-evolving-syrian-proxies|title=From Tiger Forces to the 16th Brigade: Russia’s evolving Syrian proxies|website=Middle East Institute|author=Gregory Waters|date=12 September 2022|access-date=16 November 2023}}
Brig. Gen. Burhan Rahmun{{KIA}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/280220202|title=Syrian regime commander reportedly killed in Turkish drone strike in Aleppo|work=Rudaw|date=28 February 2020|access-date=29 February 2020}}
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The 30th Division ({{langx|ar|الفرقة 30 الحرس الجمهوري}}) was the only elite combined forces division of the Syrian Republican Guard (SRG), established in 2017.{{cite web |last1=Waters |first1=Gregory |title=The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/lion-and-eagle-syrian-arab-armys-destruction-and-rebirth |website=Middle East Institute |access-date=4 September 2019 |language=en |date=18 July 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Khaddour |first1=Kheder |title=Syria's Troublesome Militias |url=https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/77635 |website=Carnegie Middle East Center |access-date=4 September 2019 |language=en |date=5 November 2018}} Its main purpose was similar to other SRG units, to protect the second largest city of Syria, Aleppo, from any foreign or domestic threats.
Commanders
- Maj. Gen. Ziad Ali Salah (January 2017—November 2017){{Cite web|url=https://syrianobserver.com/security/56452/the-regime-appoints-general-zaid-saleh-as-head-of-the-security-and-military-committee-in-idleb.html|title=The General Zaid Saleh appointed as Head of the Security and Military Committee in Idleb|website=Syrian Observer|access-date=9 December 2023|date=4 March 2020}}
- Deputy Commander: Maj. Gen. Zeid Salih
- Brig. Gen. Malik Aliaa (November 2017—December 2018){{cite web |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-military-names-new-commander-of-elite-republican-guard/ |title=Syrian military names new commander of elite Republican Guard |author=Leith Aboufadel |work=al-Masdar News |date=28 December 2018 |access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=29 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229031704/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-military-names-new-commander-of-elite-republican-guard/ |url-status=live }}
- Deputy Commander: Brig. Gen. Barakat Ali Barakat{{Cite web |url=https://www.mei.edu/sites/default/files/2018-12/RG%20Report%2012-12.pdf|title=Syria's Republican Guard: growth and fragmentation|author=Gregory Waters|access-date=24 December 2018 |archive-date=13 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113041306/https://www.mei.edu/sites/default/files/2018-12/RG%20Report%2012-12.pdf |url-status=live }}
- Maj. Gen. Barakat Ali Barakat (December 2018—October 2022){{Cite web|url=https://www.muhsenalmustafa.com/the-chain-of-command-in-the-syrian-military|title=Chain of Command in the Syrian Military: Formal and Informal Tracks|publisher=Omran Center for strategic studies|date=9 November 2021|access-date=31 March 2024|author=Muhsen al-Mustafa}}
- Deputy Commander: Brig. Gen. Saleh Abdullah (August 2022—October 2022)
- Maj. Gen. Saleh Abdullah (October 2022—April 2024)
- Maj. Gen. Mohamad Saftly (April 2024—December 2024){{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GregoryPWaters/status/1773484207874150489?t=5slPswKNFB9t_JIKnQ0f4g&s=19|title=Lots of new senior appointments today: Mundhir Ibrahim replaces Ramadan as head of SAA Operations Authority (ex-head of 5th Corps & Idlib Sec Committee). Mohamed Saftly moves from 15th Div to command all Special Forces. Replaced by Suhail Fajr Hassan, fmr 67 Brig commander.|author=Gregory Waters|website=Twitter|date=28 March 2024|access-date=31 March 2024}}
- Deputy Commander: Maj. Gen. Nizar Yunis (May 2023—December 2024)
Command structure
As of October 2022, according to Gregory Waters, 30th Division operated five brigades, three special forces regiments and one artillery regiment:{{Efn|Including units created after 2017}}
;30th Division (2022)
- 102nd Commando Brigade
- 106th Mechanized Brigade
- 123rd Special Forces Brigade
- 124th Special Forces Brigade{{Cite web|title=Current Syrian Army Deployments|url=https://international-review.org/current-syrian-army-deployments/|author=Gregory Waters|date=12 May 2020|access-date=17 October 2023|website=International Review}}
- 135th Mechanized Brigade{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GregoryPWaters/status/1613576879813836801?t=uTLJFvy1IitDLQQMZBaZWw&s=19|title=The commander of the 135th Republican Guard Brigade & at least two others (captain & 1st Lt) were killed by #Turkish shelling|publisher=Twitter|author=Gregory Waters|date=12 January 2023|access-date= 3 March 2024}}
- 47th Special Forces Regiment{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GregoryPWaters/status/1542239971020484608?t=Lc0WdfqquK6GkC6Pi9fxkw&s=19|title=Hellcannon of the 1st Company of the Republican Guard's 30th Division, 47th Regiment, 63rd Battalion.|publisher=Twitter|author=Gregory Waters|access-date=3 March 2024|date=29 June 2022}}
- 93rd Special Forces Regiment
- 147th Special Forces Regiment
- Artillery Regiment
Combat history
The 30th Division was established in January 2017, following the Syrian government's regain of Aleppo city. According Kheder Khaddour, the 30th Division united Aleppo's local militias as an umbrella organization and for while retaining their independent operating structures.{{cite web |last1=Alami |first1=Mona |title=Can Assad's Demobilization, Demilitarization, and Rehabilitation Strategy Actually Consolidate Syria's Paramilitary Forces? |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/fikraforum/view/can-assads-demobilization-demilitarization-and-rehabilitation-strategy-actu |website=www.washingtoninstitute.org |publisher=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy |access-date=7 September 2019 |language=en |date=6 March 2019}} The Republican Guard created the new 30th Division to incorporate all its units in Aleppo under a single nominal command, and to integrate the paramilitary militias in the city (already operating under the Republican Guard supervision) into the Republican Guard organization.
The then-deputy commander of the Republican Guard and overall military commander of the 2016 Aleppo offensive, Maj. Gen. Ziad Ali Salah, was appointed in charge of the 30th Division until November 2017 with Major General Zeid Salih as his deputy.{{cite web |last1=Al-Jabassini |first1=Abdullah |title=From Insurgents to Soldiers: The Fifth Assault Corps in Daraa, Southern Syria |url=https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/62964/RR_2019_09_EN.pdf |website=European University Institute |access-date=4 September 2019 |page=6 |date=14 May 2019}} In November 2017 Brigadier General Malik Aliaa took over the command, he was later promoted as the new SRG commander.{{cite news |last1=Aboufadel |first1=Leith |title=Syrian Army announces new commander of elite Republican Guard unit |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-announces-new-commander-elite-republican-guard-unit/ |access-date=4 September 2019 |work=AMN - Al-Masdar News {{!}} المصدر نيوز |date=27 October 2017}} In October 2022, Major General Saleh Abdullah was named as a commander of the unit.[https://us.dk/publikationer/2023/april/syria-the-special-forces-and-the-elite-units/ Syria - The Special Forces and the Elite Units] By 2022, the 30th Division was rebuilt into a regular military unit composed of elite guardsmen.
See also
Notes
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