National Defence Forces
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2013) |
| National Defense Force | |
|---|---|
| قوة الدفاع الوطني | |
| Dates of operation | 2012 – present |
| Allies |  Syrian Arab Army Shabiha |
| Opponents | .svg){kind=small} Free Syrian Army Al-Nusra FrontAhrar al-Sham |
The National Defense Force (Arabic: قوة الدفاع الوطني, Quwat ad-Difa‘a al-Watani) is a Syrian military group organized by the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War.[1] The goal was to form an effective, locally based, highly motivated force out of pro-government militias. The NDF receives salaries and military equipment from the government.[2]
The force acts in an infantry role, directly fighting against rebels on the ground and running counter-insurgency operations in coordination with the army which provides them logistical and artillery support. Many NDF fighters are drawn from Syrian minority groups such as Alawites, Christians, and Druze.[2] According to the Washington Post and several analysts, the creation of the group has been successful and has improved the military situation for the government in Syria.[3]
The United States government has accused Syria's ally, Iran, of helping build the group on the model of its own Basij militia, with some members reportedly being sent for training in Iran. It has been described by The Economist as "a shadowy new militia".[4][5]
The force is reported to be 60,000-strong as of mid-2013 and is set to grow to 100,000.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "SYRIA UPDATE: THE FALL OF AL-QUSAYR". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved Jun 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "Insight: Battered by war, Syrian army creates its own replacement". Reuters. April 21, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ Sly, Liz (May 12, 2013). "Assad forces gaining ground in Syria". Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ "Closer to the capital". The Economist. April 13, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ Barnard, Anne (March 12, 2013). "Syria Military Shows Strain in a War It Wasn't Built to Fight". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21579494-president-bashar-assad-and-his-forces-have-won-new-lease-life-regime-digs Syria’s civil war: The regime digs in
