11th Armored Division
Divisional tactical color marking
Active1982–present[1]
Country Syria
AllegianceMilitary of Syria
Branch Syrian Arab Army
TypeArmored division
RoleArmored warfare
Size11,000 (2018)[1]
Garrison/HQHoms (Division HQ)
EngagementsSyrian Civil War
Commanders
Current CommanderLt. Gen. Ali al-Hussain †

The 11th Armored Division is an elite formation of the Syrian Army.[1] In 2019, the 11th Division participated in the Operation Dawn of Idlib.[10] The division is part of the 3rd Army Corps.[1]

Command structure

11th Armored Division (2019)[1]
  • 60th and 67th Armored Brigades
  • 87th Mechanized Brigade[11]
  • 89th and 135th Artillery Regiments[12]

Combat history

In 1982, after the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in Southern Lebanon between the Syrian and Israeli forces, Syrians captured 11 Israeli M48 Patton tanks. For that, late Commander in Chief President of Syria Hafiz al-Assad instructed the establishment of a new armored division, with the number designation 11.

Syrian Civil War

The 11th Armored Division is part of 3rd Army Corps, as it was a reserve armored division and one of the best armored divisions of the Syrian Army. It was placed in active duty during the crisis.[13] The 11th Armored Division first took part in combat operations from autumn 2011 to spring 2012, when it was part of the Army's offensive in Idlib Governorate. Until then, several units of the division took part in the most complex Siege of Abu al-Duhur Airbase between 2012 and 2015, where the army eventually suffered heavy losses and defeat.[2]

In 2015, the division took part in the spring and autumn campaign, which ended with the defeat of the army forces and the loss of the city and province of Idlib, the Al-Ghab Plains and part of the province of Hama[5] In 2016, the division led the Syrian Army's counter offensive in Hama.,[13] which featured the participation of the division's 87th Mechanized Brigade and 47th Regiment.[14] During the operation, the unit lost its commander Brig. Gen. Ali Khallouf[15] and Maj. Gen. Ali Sharaf Makhlouf, commander of 87th Brigade.[16]

In 2017, the division took part of two government offensives, during which the Army recaptured all lost territory in previous years. Units of the 87th Brigade have held the highly contested Suran-Masasneh axis since 2016.[1] Several members of the 87th Brigade died in a March 3, 2019 raid on a checkpoint there. Meanwhile, the 60th and 67th Brigades and the 135th Regiment have mostly fought on the eastern edges of the Homs Governorate, particularly around Palmyra as well as throughout Deir ez-Zor.[1] Since 2019, the 11th Division has been reorganized with Russian help and supervision.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gregory Waters (18 July 2019). "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 Leith Fadel (15 January 2015). "Idlib: The Al-Nusra Front Launches an Offensive at Tal Salmo". almasdar news. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Syria's Nusra seizes tanks, APCs from Assad's army". Middle East Eye. December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army Launches Offensive South of Idlib City". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 Leith Fadel (26 April 2015). "Update from Jisr Al-Shughour - Fierce Clashes at the National Hospital". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  6. ↑ Leith Fadel (26 March 2015). "Complete Field Report from Idlib City: Islamist Groups Fail to Progress". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Understanding Syria’s Military Deployments in Idlib
  8. ↑ Tomson, Chris (11 December 2016). "ISIS fully retakes Palmyra in stunning blitz offensive – Map update". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  9. ↑ Leith Fadel (24 September 2017). "[Graphic 18+] Jihadist corpses litter northern Hama battlefield – video". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "Large number of Syrian soldiers deployed to Al-Ghaab Plain, offensive to begin soon". Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2019-07-17. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  11. ↑ "Syrian commandos begin long campaign to Jisr Al-Shughour". 20 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-30. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  12. ↑ Cooper 2015, p. 18.
  13. 1 2 Fadel, Leith (31 August 2016). "Jund Al-Aqsa sets its sight on Alawi town in northern Hama". al-Masdar. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Fadel, Leith (5 September 2016). "Syrian Army fights back in northern Hama, two hilltops recaptured". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "The Brigadier General Ali Khallouf, the former commander of Wadi al-Deif camp is killed in the battels of Hama's countryside". SOHR. 1 September 2016.
  16. ↑ Tomson, Chris (2 September 2016). "SouthFront: Islamist rebels on the move towards Hama's provincial capital". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "The Syrian Phoenix is Arising". 14 September 2018.

Works cited

  • Cooper, Tom (2015). Syrian Conflagration: The Civil War 2011-2013. Middle East@War Volume 1. Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-910294-10-9.
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