The 10th Mechanized Division (Arabic: الفرقة الآلية العاشر) is a division of the Syrian Arab Army and part of the 2nd Corps. This is one of the smallest divisions in the SAA and its origins date back to 1973.[1]
| 10th Mechanized Division | |
|---|---|
| الفرقة الميكانيكية العاشرة | |
 Syrian Armed Forces Flag | |
| Active | 1973 – present |
| Country |  Syria |
| Allegiance |  Syrian Armed Forces |
| Branch |  Syrian Arab Army |
| Type | Mechanized Infantry |
| Role | Conventional warfare |
| Size | up to 10,000 soldiers (2019)[1] |
| Part of | 2nd Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Qatana[1] |
| Engagements |
|
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | Maj. Gen. Hossem Salah[6] |
| Notable commanders | Maj. Gen. Mohammed Dib Zaitoun Maj. Gen. Hassan Saado †[2] Maj. Gen. Muhammad Ibrahim Issa[7] |
Command structure
edit- 18th Mechanized Brigade
- 62nd Mechanized Brigade
- 51st Armored Brigade
- 58th Armored Brigade
- 122nd Artillery Regiment[9]
Combat history
edit1982 Lebanon War
editIn the 1982 Lebanon War, the 10th Armoured Division was deployed south of the Beirut-Damascus road, and inside Beirut, and consisted of the 76th and 91st Tank Brigades – equipped with T-62s and BMP-1s – and the 85th Mechanized Brigade, equipped with T-55s and BTR-60s.[10] The division was also assigned control of the 20th Commando Battalion as well.
In the same year, the division was returned to Syria, and participated in the suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood Rebellion. The division was also reported to have taken place in the 1982 Hama massacre. After that, the division was returned to Lebanon, and remained there until the withdrawal of the Syrian army from the country in 2005.
In 2001 Richard Bennett's estimate of the Army order of battle reported that the 10th Mechanized Division was headquartered in Shtoura, Lebanon, part of the 2nd Corps.[11] Its main units were in 2001 deployed to control the strategic Beirut-Damascus highway with the 123rd Mechanized Brigade near Yanta, the 51st Armored Brigade near Zahlé in the Beqaa Valley and the 85th Armored Brigade, deployed around the complex of positions at Dahr al-Baidar.
Syrian Civil War
editIn Syria, the division was reported to have become involved in the two battles in al-Qusayr starting on 19 May 2013, as part of the larger al-Qusayr offensive, launched in early April 2013 by the Syrian Army and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah,[12] with the aim of capturing the villages around the rebel-held town of al-Qusayr and ultimately launching an attack on the town itself.[13] al-Qusayr is in Homs Governorate, near the border with Lebanon. The region was strategically important as a supply route for rebels fighting Syrian government forces in Homs,[14] and for its proximity to government-supporting areas along the coast. In course of the Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive in 2016, the division's chief-of-staff, Major General Hassan Saado, was killed.[2] Since 2019, elements of the division are being trained by Russian officers in Safita, Tartous.
The 58th Brigade has not existed in any meaningful way since at least late 2016 and the 85th Brigade was moved to the newly formed 6th Division in 2015. The 51st Armored Brigade was formed after 2011 as a new armored unit under the command of the 10th Division. The 18th Brigade had moved to the Republican Guard by late 2018.[1] In 2021, the 18th Brigade, formerly part of the 30th Division, was brought back to the late unit.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ a b c "High-ranking Syria army officer killed fighting ISIS". Now. 23 June 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (24 December 2016). "The Fifth Legion: A New Auxiliary Force". Syria Comment. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ^ Illingworth, Andrew (8 January 2018). "Syrian Army's order of battle for Harasta operation in east Damascus revealed". AMN News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021.
- ^ Gregory Waters (12 March 2019). "Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib". International Review. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ Gregory Waters (30 April 2023). "M.G. Hossem Salah from head of 106th SRG Brig to 10th Div". Twitter. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Brigadier General Muhammad Ibrahim Issa has appointed as deputy commander of 10th Division
- ^ Andrew Illingworth (24 February 2018). "Video: New Syrian Army armored division heads towards east Damascus with over 100 tanks, armored fighting vehicles". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Gregory Waters (27 July 2019). "122nd Artillery regiment belongs to the 10th Division". Twitter. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ Tom Cooper, Syrian Tank-Hunters in Lebanon, 1982, Air Combat Information Group
- ^ Richard M. Bennett, The Syrian Military: A Primer, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, August/September 2001.
- ^ "Syrian opposition calls on Hezbollah to stay out of Syria's civil war". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Activists: Syrian regime provides Hezbollah aerial shield in Qusayr". 21 April 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ "Syria fighting flares both sides of Lebanese border". Reuters. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ الحرس الجمهوري".. تشكيلات جديدة لتعزيز حماية الأسد منها "اقتحام نسائى" (صور وأسماء)