Saberin Takavar Brigade
گردان تکاور صابرين
Saberin shoulder sleeve insignia
Active2000–present[1]
Country Iran
AllegianceSupreme Leader of Iran
BranchGround Force
TypeTakavar
RoleSpecial operations
SizeBrigade (between 6000 to 8000 members)
Part of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Garrison/HQTehran
Motto(s)"If there are 20 Saberin amongst you, they will overcome 200, and if there be a 100 Saberin they will overcome a 1000 of those who disbelieve." [Quran 8:65]
EngagementsPJAK insurgency
Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency
Syrian Civil War
Iranian intervention in Iraq
WebsiteSaberin News
Commanders
Current
commander		 2nd Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Faizullahi

The Saberin Takavar Brigade (Persian: گردان تکاور صابرين; meaning Steadfasts Commando Battalions) also known as Saberin Unit is an elite[2] Takavar unit in the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is considered one of the best Takavar units in the Iranian Armed Forces, with decades of military and combat experience both at home and specially in overseas operations in neighbouring countries. It is one of the most exclusive units in the IRGC, having at least 6000 members, all of them volunteers and handpicked from the best and most capable units in the IRGC Ground, Air and Sea forces.

Together with the Quds Force operatives and the Sepah Navy Special Force marines, they are considered la crème de la crème of the IRGC, its top tier units and the best soldiers within the Corps.[3][4]

Origin

“Saberin” means the patient ones. According to commanders, the unit's name is inspired by the verse Quran 8:65, which states: “O Prophet! Motivate the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are one hundred of you, they will overcome one thousand of the disbelievers, for they are a people who do not comprehend.”

After the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the IRGC Ground Forces saw the need to establish a special forces unit capable of undertaking difficult combat operations from land, sea, and air. This would be a different function than the Qods Force, the external operations unit. In the year 2000, the then IRGC commander, General Mohammad Ali Jafari funded the Saberin unit. The current Saberin commander is Brigadier General Sadegh Mahmoudi. According to Brigadier General Morteza Mirian, the commander of Saberin operations against PJAK in 2012 and deputy commander of IRGC Ground Forces Operations Directorate, the unit emulates from tactics deployed by 11 special forces units, particularly the British Special Air Service. They also studied the U.S. and Israeli special forces.

As with any IRGC unit, the Saberin Brigade is a strong ideological military force. Thus, the unit places two essential requirements among its fighters to possess: First, faith, extreme loyalty and ideological commitment to the Islamic Republic, and second, a rigorous technical knowledge and combat skills on the battlefield. The Saberin is known for its special emphasis on sniper training, producing some of the best snipers in the Iranian Armed Forces.

Description

Photo of Saberin Unit commandos

Despite being one of the newest units in the IRGC, having been created in the 2000, its one of its most battle-hardened troops, with hundred of operations both inside and outside Iran, against terrorist and subversive elements. Recently, it has been specially active in conflicts around the region, such as Syria and Iraq. As a result, the unit, has transformed itself, together with the Quds Force, in an essential part of the Iranian expeditionary forces and in the symbol of its power projection in the region. The IRGCGF Saberin units are highly trained in a numerous specialized capabilities, such as raiding, hostage rescue, heliborne assault, counter-terrorism operations and special reconnaissance. Some Saberin personnel use ultralight aircraft and are capable of conducting operations in any kind of terrain and environmental conditions, including mountains, deserts, and swamps. As stated before, the Saberin personnel have also been deployed to Syria to support Iranian combat operations. The Department of Defense's 2010 Military Power of Iran report:[5]

“Each Provincial Corps in the IRGCGF possesses a unit, called Saberin, which has special operations capabilities. These units rotate to the northwest to perform counter-insurgency against Kurdish PJAK and to the southeast to operate against Jundallah, and recently have been directly involved in other conflicts of the region, such as Syria.” The Unit, has a close relationship with other special forces of the Iranian Armed Forces, specially with the 65th NOHED Brigade, having received training from them regularly since its foundation.

The Saberin Unit ranks its commandos according to three levels:[6]

  • Rapid Response (Vakonesh-e Sarie);
  • Special Force (Nirooy-e Vijeh);
  • Special Operations Force (Nirooy-e Makhsoos).

References

  1. ↑ "توضیحات فرمانده یگان صابرین درباره چگونگی شکل گیری نیروهای ویژه سپاه پس از 12 سال". Khabar Online (in Persian). 28 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "پاکپور: صابرین زبدهترین یگان سپاه است". Mashregh News (in Persian). 15 May 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "یگان ویژه "صابرین" چیست و چگونه می توان عضو آن شد؟". Mashregh News (in Persian). 10 January 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "همکاري نوهد ارتش و صابرين سپاه". Mashregh News (in Persian). 18 January 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Unclassified Report on Military Power of Iran" (PDF). Fox News. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-01.
  6. ↑ "The IRGC Ground Forces". IranWire. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
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