Ba'ath Brigades
| Ba'ath Brigades كتائب البعث | |
|---|---|
 Ba'ath Brigades SSI and Insignia  Ba'ath Brigades Flag | |
| Founder | Hilal Hilal |
| Leaders | Mohammed Khaddour[1] |
| Dates of operation | Summer 2012 – present[2] |
| Headquarters | Aleppo |
| Active regions | Aleppo Governorate Damascus Governorate Latakia Governorate Tartus Governorate |
| Ideology | Syrian nationalism, Ba'athism, Secularism. |
| Allies |  Syrian Armed ForcesFile:Flag of the National Defense Force.svg National Defense Force |
| Opponents |  Free Syrian Army Islamic Front al-Nusra Front Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
| Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War |
The Ba'ath Brigades (Arabic: كتائب البعث Katā'ib al-Baʿth), also known as the Ba'ath Battalions, are a volunteer militia made up of Syrian Ba'ath Party members, almost entirely Sunni Muslims, loyal to the Syrian Government of Bashar al-Assad.[4] It was set up in Aleppo under the command of Hilal Hilal, the current Assistant Regional Secretary, after rebels took most of the eastern half of Aleppo in summer 2012. Initially, the Ba'ath Brigades were used to guard government buildings and other key installations in the city, but their role has expanded as their strength has grown from 5,000 members in November 2012 to 7,000 in December 2013.[2][5] Units have since also formed in Latakia and Tartus. At the end of 2013, the Brigades began deploying in Damascus, tasked with manning checkpoints and conducting "light logistical operations".[3] They spearheaded the assault on the Old City of Aleppo in early 2014.[4]
History
The Ba'ath Battalions participated in lifting the three year siege at Kuweires military airbase alongside the elite Cheetah Forces, and National Defence Forces.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Veteran Baath members establish pro-Assad militia to fight opposition". ARA News. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ a b Aron Lund (13 January 2014). "The Baath Battalions Move Into Damascus". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ a b كتائب البعث» إلى شوارع دمشق» (in Arabic). Al Akhbar. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ a b Edward Dark (14 March 2014). "Pro-regime Sunni fighters in Aleppo defy sectarian narrative". Al Monitor. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ Edward Dark (20 November 2013). "Syrian Baath militia commander goes rags-to-riches". Al Monitor. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ Leith Fadel (10 November 2015). "Cheetah Forces Lift the Three Year Long Siege of the Kuweires Military Airbase". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 10 November 2015.