30th Division (Syria) explained

Unit Name:30th Division
Native Name:الفرقة 30 الحرس الجمهوري
Dates:January 2017–present
Allegiance: President of Syria
Type:Mechanized infantry
Role:Shock troops
Size:30,000 guardsmen (as of 2017)[1]
Command Structure: Republican Guard
Garrison:Aleppo
Colours:-->
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Battles:
Commander1:Maj. Gen. Mohamad Saftly[3]
Commander1 Label:Current Commander
Commander2:Maj. Gen. Nizar Yunis[4]
Commander2 Label:Deputy Commander
Commander3:Brig. Gen. Yusuf Abd al-Hamid Mahmoud
Commander3 Label:Chief of Staff
Commander4:Brig. Gen. Aqil Jumaa [5]
Commander4 Label:Brigade Commanders
Notable Commanders:Maj. Gen. Ziad Ali Salah
Maj. Gen. Zeid Salih
Maj. Gen. Malik Aliaa
Maj. Gen. Saleh Abdullah[6]
Brig. Gen. Burhan Rahmun[7]

The 30th Division (Arabic: الفرقة 30 الحرس الجمهوري) is an elite mechanized division of the Republican Guard of Syria, established in 2017.[8] [9] Its main purpose is similar to other SRG units, to protect the second largest city of Syria, Aleppo, from any foreign or domestic threats.[6]

Commanders

Command structure

As of October 2022, according to Gregory Waters, 30th Division operates five brigades, three special forces regiments and one artillery regiment:[6]

30th Division (2022)

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.[18] The Republican Guard created the new 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.[19] In November 2017 Brigadier General Malik Aliaa took over the command, he was later promoted as the new SRG commander.[20] In October 2022, Major General Saleh Abdullah was named as a commander of the unit.[21] By 2022, the 30th Division was rebuilt into a regular military unit composed of elite guardsmen.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Сколько людей и оружия по обе линии сирийского противостояния. Газета.Ru. 20 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160731174449/http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2015/09/30_a_7788269.shtml. 31 July 2016. live.
  2. News: Syrian regime commander reportedly killed in Turkish drone strike in Aleppo. Rudaw. 28 February 2020. 29 February 2020.
  3. Web site: 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. 14 April 2024. 12 April 2024. Gregory Waters.
  4. Web site: Maj General Nizar Yunis has been appointed head of the Aleppo Security & Military Committee.
  5. Web site: Return to the northeast: Syrian Army deployments against Turkish forces. Middle East Institute. 20 November 2019. 20 November 2023. Gregory Waters.
  6. Web site: From Tiger Forces to the 16th Brigade: Russia’s evolving Syrian proxies. Middle East Institute. Gregory Waters. 12 September 2022. 16 November 2023.
  7. News: Syrian regime commander reportedly killed in Turkish drone strike in Aleppo. Rudaw. 28 February 2020. 29 February 2020.
  8. Web site: Waters . Gregory . The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth . Middle East Institute . 4 September 2019 . en . 18 July 2019.
  9. Web site: Khaddour . Kheder . Syria's Troublesome Militias . Carnegie Middle East Center . 4 September 2019 . en . 5 November 2018.
  10. Web site: The General Zaid Saleh appointed as Head of the Security and Military Committee in Idleb. Syrian Observer. 9 December 2023. 4 March 2020.
  11. Web site: Syrian military names new commander of elite Republican Guard . Leith Aboufadel . . 28 December 2018 . 28 December 2018 . 29 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181229031704/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-military-names-new-commander-of-elite-republican-guard/ . live .
  12. Web site: Syria's Republican Guard: growth and fragmentation. Gregory Waters. 24 December 2018 . 13 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210113041306/https://www.mei.edu/sites/default/files/2018-12/RG%20Report%2012-12.pdf . live .
  13. Web site: Chain of Command in the Syrian Military: Formal and Informal Tracks. Omran Center for strategic studies. 9 November 2021. 31 March 2024. Muhsen al-Mustafa.
  14. Web site: 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.. Gregory Waters. Twitter. 28 March 2024. 31 March 2024.
  15. Web site: Current Syrian Army Deployments. Gregory Waters. 12 May 2020. 17 October 2023. International Review.
  16. Web site: The commander of the 135th Republican Guard Brigade & at least two others (captain & 1st Lt) were killed by #Turkish shelling. Twitter. Gregory Waters. 12 January 2023. 3 March 2024.
  17. Web site: Hellcannon of the 1st Company of the Republican Guard's 30th Division, 47th Regiment, 63rd Battalion.. Twitter. Gregory Waters. 3 March 2024. 29 June 2022.
  18. Web site: Alami . Mona . Can Assad's Demobilization, Demilitarization, and Rehabilitation Strategy Actually Consolidate Syria's Paramilitary Forces? . www.washingtoninstitute.org . The Washington Institute for Near East Policy . 7 September 2019 . en . 6 March 2019.
  19. Web site: Al-Jabassini . Abdullah . From Insurgents to Soldiers: The Fifth Assault Corps in Daraa, Southern Syria . European University Institute . 4 September 2019 . 6 . 14 May 2019.
  20. News: Aboufadel . Leith . Syrian Army announces new commander of elite Republican Guard unit . 4 September 2019 . AMN - Al-Masdar News المصدر نيوز . 27 October 2017.
  21. https://us.dk/publikationer/2023/april/syria-the-special-forces-and-the-elite-units/ Syria - The Special Forces and the Elite Units

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