The 17th Reserve Division is a

formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes Mathematics and science * Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...

of the Syrian Army responsible for north-eastern Syria. It is one of two autonomous reserve divisions of the

Syrian Arab Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six-D ...

, the other being the 18th Armoured Division.

Structure

The Division is an autonomous division Syrian Army's Corps structure, and was composed of 137th Mechanized Brigade, the 93rd Armoured Brigade (KIA), 154th Special Forces Regiment, and the 121st Artillery Regiment ( Milbia). The Division is one of the Syrian Army's 5 Specialised Divisions, which unlike the Army's conventional Divisions include both brigades and maneuver regiments.

History

Role in the civil war

The 17th Reserve Division was active in Deir ez-Zor province throughout 2012. The division's 93rd Brigade left Idlib to secure

Raqqa Governorate Raqqa Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة الرقة, Muḥāfaẓat ar-Raqqah) is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in the north of the country and covers an area of 19,618 km2. The capital is Raqqa. The Islamic State ...

in early 2012. In November 2012 the Free Syrian Army claimed that elements of the 17th Division were in Rastan, thereby raising the possibility that elements of the Division withdrew from the east as the Syrian Government lost positions there. Following the reported capture of Raqqa on 3–6 March 2013, elements of the 17th Division remained under siege to the north of the city in October 2013. Following the fall of the Menagh airbase, the remaining troops of the defeated 17th Division sought refuge with Kurdish forces. The Kurds, however, turned over the senior officers to al-Nusra in exchange for Kurdish prisoners and the Islamists promptly killed the handed over officers, including Colonel Naji Abu Shaar.

Robert Fisk Robert Fisk (12 July 194630 October 2020) was a writer and journalist who held British and Irish citizenship. He was critical of United States foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. His stan ...

Syria civil war: State-of-the-art technology gives President Assad’s army the edge
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' 26 February 2016 In July 2014,

ISIL An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

captured the division's and 93rd's Brigade headquarters in the

2014 Eastern Syria offensive The 2014 Eastern Syria offensive was an offensive launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or IS) against government-held military installations in eastern Syria during the Syrian Civil War, after expelling the Syrian rebels f ...

. In February 2016, the 137th Brigade was reported to be controlling airdropped UN aid supplies in Deir ez-Zor city. On 15 October 2016, the 137th Brigade attacked the southern outskirts of their former HQ that was occupied by ISIS in Deir ez-Zor. They killed several militants and destroyed three armored vehicles. In June 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces and other allied forces, aided by US airstrikes, captured the main base/headquarters of the division, located in the outskirts of Raqqa from ISIS after clashes between the two forces occurred as part of the Battle of Raqqa. Major General Nizzar Khaddour, who hails from Republican Guard, is the current commander of the 17th Reserve Division.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:17th Division Divisions of Syria Raqqa Governorate Military units and formations established in 1970 Infantry divisions