National Defence Forces Explained

Unit Name:National Defence Forces
Dates:1 November 2012present
Type:Paramilitary
Militia[1] [2]
Role:Reserve army[3]
Counter-insurgency
Light infantry
Size:50,000[4]
Command Structure: Syrian Armed Forces
Garrison:3002 Damascus, Syria (main HQ)
With elements in:
Aleppo Governorate
Hama Governorate
Latakia Governorate
Tartus Governorate
Homs Governorate
al-Hasakah Governorate
Damascus Governorate
As-Suwayda Governorate
Deir ez-Zor Governorate[5]
Equipment:See List of NDF equipment
Battles:
Commander1:Marshal Bashar al-Assad
Commander1 Label:President of Syria
Commander2:Gen. Ali Mahmoud Abbas
Commander2 Label:Minister of Defense
Commander3: Gen. Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim
Commander3 Label:Chief of the General Staff
Commander4:Brig. Gen. Hawash Mohammed
Commander4 Label:Current Commander
Identification Symbol Label:Distinctive unit insignia
Identification Symbol 2 Label:NDF flag
Identification Symbol 3 Label:Variant NDF flag
National Defence Forces
Native Name:Quwāt ad-Difāʿ al-Watanī
Native Name Lang:ar
War:the Syrian Civil War
Active:1 November 2012present
Headquarters:Damascus
Area:Syria
Clans:
Allies:State allies

Non-state allies

Opponents:State opponents

Non-state opponents

The National Defence Forces (NDF; Arabic: قوات الدفاع الوطني Quwāt ad-Difāʿ al-Watanī) is a Syrian pro-government paramilitary volunteer militia, that was formed on 1 November 2012 and organized by the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War as a part-time volunteer reserve component of the Syrian Armed Forces.[14]

The NDF is made of units across various Syrian provinces, each of them consists of local volunteers willing to fight against rebels for various reasons.[15]

Formation

By the beginning of 2013, the Syrian government took steps to formalize and professionalize hundreds of Popular Committee militias under a new group dubbed the National Defence Forces.[16] [17] [18]

The goal was to form an effective, locally based, highly motivated force out of pro-government militias. The NDF, in contrast with the Shabiha forces, received salaries and military equipment from the government.[19] [20] Since the formation of the NDF, Shabiha members have been incorporated into its structure.[21] [22] The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces has defined Shabiha as the Syrian National Defence Forces.[23]

Young and unemployed men join the NDF, which some view as more attractive than the Syrian Army, considered by many of them to be infiltrated by rebels, overstretched and underfunded. A number of recruits say they joined the group because members of their families had been killed by rebel groups. In some Alawite villages almost every military-age male has joined the National Defence Force.

Others, like the Druze people of Al-Suwayda Governorate, join to protect their land from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[24] In late June 2015, the Syrian government began arming citizens of this governorate against ISIL, who were harassing the local population with abductions, executions, and plundering. The locals became a large and powerful NDF contingent in the governorate, including the prominent Golan Regiment.

The creation of the NDF was personally overseen by Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Suleimani.[25] Syrian security officials stated that they received assistance from Iran and Hezbollah, who both "played a key role in the formalization of the NDF along the model of the Iranian 'Basij' militia". The NDF recruits received training in urban guerilla warfare from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah instructors at facilities inside Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, with this partnership remaining in place as of April 2015. Iran has contributed to gathering together existing neighborhood militias into a functioning hierarchy and provided them with better equipment and training. The United States government has also stated that Iran is helping build the group on the model of its own Basij militia, and that some members are being sent for training in Iran.[26]

Role

The force acts in an infantry role, directly fighting against rebels on the ground and running counter-insurgency operations in coordination with the Syrian Army, which provides them with logistical and artillery support.

The force was reported to be 60,000-strong as of June 2013 and grew to 100,000 by August.[15] [27] The NDF is composed mainly of members of the Alawite and Shia sects of Islam and are loyal to the Syrian Government and the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Units mostly operate in their local areas, although members can also choose to take part in army operations.[28] Others have claimed that the NDF does most of the fighting because NDF members, as locals, have a strong knowledge of the region.

Struggling with reliability and issues with defections, officers of the Syrian Army increasingly prefer the part-time volunteer reserves of the NDF, who they regard as more motivated and loyal, over regular army conscripts to conduct infantry operations. An officer in Homs, who asked not to be identified, said the army was increasingly playing a logistical and directive role, while NDF fighters act as combatants on the ground.

On 20 February 2018, NDF battalions volunteered to support the Afrin canton against the Turkish-led operation against Afrin. More recently the NDF has been criticized for escalation and aggressiveness with the YPG and SDF in the cities of Qamishli and across the ANES Al-Hasakah, but mediation later ended the skirmishes.[29]

An NDF militia from Mhardeh, led by Sami Al-Wakil, has been accused of war crimes, for instance massacres in Halfaya in December 2012 and Kfar Hod in March 2013, and in Al-Lataminah where it has been reported to be responsible for 200 civilian deaths in artillery fire from a hill it occupied, and of recruiting child soldiers.[30]

Organization and training

According to a report, as of February 2015 the National Defense Forces are organized under provincial commanders, and loosely overseen by a national coordinator who is reported to be Brigadier-General Ghassan Nassour, although later sources report the name of Hawash Mohammed. Local branches are deemed to act with autonomy and to be not cohesive on the provincial level, although there is little uniformity.[31]

Provincial branches seem to be commanded by a senior officer each.[32]

The period of training can vary from 2 weeks to a month depending on whether an individual is being trained for basic combat, sniping, or intelligence.

According to a 2022 analysis by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said "they are not experienced..., poorly equipped and have never excelled on the battlefield."[33]

Lionesses of National Defence

Since January 2013, the NDF had a 500-strong women's wing called "Lionesses of National Defence", which operates checkpoints in the Homs area.[34] The women are trained to use Kalashnikovs, heavy machine guns and grenades, and taught to storm and control checkpoints.[35] The largest female group belong to Homs NDF. In January 2024, Lionesses of the NDF have officially disbanded. Female recruits will fight with regular units.

Funding

French extreme right non-governmental organization (SOSCO) has conducted fundraising for the NDF according to an investigation by the Newlines Magazine.[30] [36]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: The Shia crescendo. The Economist. 28 March 2015. 24 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150710230934/http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21647367-shia-militias-are-proliferating-middle-east-shia-crescendo. 2015-07-10. live.
  2. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/who-are-pro-assad-militias-syria-2030619965 Who are the pro-Assad militias in Syria?
  3. Web site: Insight: Battered by war, Syrian army creates its own replacement . Reuters . 21 April 2013 . 2014-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130601144630/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/21/us-syria-crisis-paramilitary-insight-idUSBRE93K02R20130421 . 2013-06-01 . live .
  4. IISS, The Military Balance 2023 page 354
  5. News: Syria's Alawite Force Turned Tide for Assad. Wall Street Journal. 26 August 2013. 2 September 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150128060136/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323997004578639903412487708. 2015-01-28. live.
  6. Book: Al-Jabassini, Abdullah. From Insurgents to Soldiers: The Fifth Assault Corps in Daraa, Southern Syria. Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria. European University Institute. 978-92-9084-767-0. 2019.
  7. Web site: Pro-Assad militia says hit by Israel. Albin. Szakola. 2017-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20170218103508/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/567236-pro-assad-militia-says-hit-by-israel. 2017-02-18. live.
  8. Web site: "فوج الجولان" و"صقور القنيطرة" صراع خلفه "جمعية البستان"؟ . "The Golan Regiment" and "Hawks of Quneitra" conflict behind the "Bustan Society" . Almodon . 22 December 2017 . 10 May 2018 .
  9. Web site: All pro-government militias to be discontinued after southern Syria offensive: source . Leith Aboufadel . . 2 June 2018 . 24 July 2019 . 24 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190724091024/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/all-pro-government-militias-to-be-discontinued-after-southern-syria-offensive-source/ . dead .
  10. Web site: Syrian Army beats back jihadist forces in Golan Heights despite Israeli aggression. 25 June 2017. 2017-06-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20170625085158/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-beats-back-jihadist-forces-golan-heights-despite-israeli-aggression/. 2017-06-25. live.
  11. Web site: Islamic State retreats from Palmyra amid stunning Syrian Army offensive. 2 March 2017. 2017-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20170302030057/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/islamic-state-retreats-palmyra-amid-blitz-syrian-army-offensive/. 2017-03-02. live.
  12. Web site: How Iran is Building Its Syrian Hezbollah.
  13. Web site: Syrian government, Iraqi reinforcements reach southeast Damascus for upcoming offensive . 2018-07-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719234030/https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-government-iraqi-reinforcements-reach-southeast-damascus-upcoming-offensive/ . 2018-07-19 . live .
  14. News: SYRIA UPDATE: THE FALL OF AL-QUSAYR. Jun 7, 2013. Institute for the Study of War. https://web.archive.org/web/20130610052521/http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/syria-update-fall-al-qusayr. 2013-06-10. live.
  15. News: Syria's civil war: The regime digs in . The Economist . 15 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151006181749/http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21579494-president-bashar-assad-and-his-forces-have-won-new-lease-life-regime-digs . 2015-10-06 . live .
  16. Will Fulton, Joseph Holliday, and Sam Wyer, Iranian Strategy in Syria, Institute for the Study of War, May 2013
  17. News: Rise of the Militias in Syria . Michael Weiss . RealClearWorld . 18 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130610025455/http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2013/05/18/rise_of_the_militias_in_syria_105170.html . 2013-06-10 . dead . 2013-07-20 .
  18. Web site: The Non-State Militant Landscape in Syria . Lund . Aron . . 2013-08-27 . 2013-08-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131007045801/http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-non-state-militant-landscape-in-syria . 2013-10-07 . dead .
  19. News: Insight: Battered by war, Syrian army creates its own replacement. May 29, 2013. Reuters. April 21, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130601144630/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/21/us-syria-crisis-paramilitary-insight-idUSBRE93K02R20130421. 2013-06-01. live.
  20. News: Rise of the militias . Michael Weiss . NOW . 17 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131105035326/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/rise-of-the-militias . 2013-11-05 . live .
  21. Web site: The Regime's Military Capabilities: Part 1 . ISW . Kozak . Christopher . 26 May 2015 . 31 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150527120304/http://iswsyria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-regimes-military-capabilities-part-1.html . 27 May 2015 . dead .
  22. Web site: Insight: Battered by war, Syrian army creates its own replacement. Reuters. 21 April 2013. 31 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20130601144630/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/21/us-syria-crisis-paramilitary-insight-idUSBRE93K02R20130421. 2013-06-01. live.
  23. Web site: Hezbollah, NDF and Iranian Militias are Arch-Terrorists in Syria. 12 November 2015 . National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. 7 November 2020.
  24. Web site: Sweida Residents Fight Back Against ISIS: Terrorist Group Suffers Heavy Losses. Leith Fadel. Al-Masdar News. 26 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150926175427/http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sweida-residents-fight-back-against-isis-terrorist-group-suffers-heavy-losses/. 2015-09-26. live.
  25. News: The Myth of Iran's Military Mastermind . The Daily Beast . Siegel . Jacob . 5 June 2015 . 5 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150606034609/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/05/the-myth-of-iran-s-military-mastermind.html . 2015-06-06 . live .
  26. News: Signs of Strain on Syria's Military Build . 13 March 2013 . 12 March 2013 . 2017-02-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170927155252/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/world/middleeast/signs-of-strain-on-syrias-military-build.html?pagewanted=all . 2017-09-27 . live . Barnard . Anne .
  27. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/syria-military-landscape-english.pdf
  28. News: Glass . Charles . 5 December 2013 . Syria: On the Way to Genocide? . New York Review of Books . 2013-11-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131119151225/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/dec/05/syria-way-genocide/ . 2013-11-19 . live .
  29. Web site: Military escalation in Al-Qamishli NDF member killed and others injured in clashes with Asayish Forces • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123191542/https://www.syriahr.com/en/201883/. 2021-01-23.
  30. Web site: Baiou . Sabrine . Under the Guise of Aid: The Far-Right French NGO Allegedly Supporting War Crimes in Syria . New Lines Institute . 2021-11-29 . 2022-09-14.
  31. Web site: Lund. Aron. Who Are the Pro-Assad Militias?. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 6 April 2016. 2 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160321153012/http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=59215. 2016-03-21. live.
  32. Book: Larkin. Craig. Kerr. Michael. The Alawis of Syria: War, Faith and Politics in the Levant. 2015. Oxford University Press. New York. 220.
  33. Web site: Syrian Mercenaries in Ukraine: Delusion or Reality? . Carnegie Endowment for International Peace . 2022-06-23 . 2022-09-14.
  34. News: Using Women to Win in Syria. Adam Heffez. Al-Monitor (Eylül). 28 November 2013. 28 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131111101305/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/tr/originals/2013/09/women-fighters-syria-rebels-regime.html. 2013-11-11. dead.
  35. News: Sly . Liz . The all-female militias of Syria . The Washington Post . 2013-01-25 . 2014-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140618130948/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/25/the-all-female-militias-of-syria/ . 2014-06-18 . live .
  36. Web site: France NGO financing Syria militia guilty of war crimes, report says – Middle East Monitor. 11 June 2021 . 2021-06-12. en-GB.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "National Defence Forces".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.