The 5th Mechanized Division ( ar, الفرقة الخامسةميكا) is a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

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 ...

Combat history

Black September in Jordan

The 5th Division, at that time an infantry formation, invaded

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

during the events of

Black September in Jordan Black September ( ar, أيلول الأسود; ''Aylūl Al-Aswad''), also known as the Jordanian Civil War, was a conflict fought in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan between the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF), under the leadership of King Husse ...

, 1970. It was reinforced with two armoured brigades. After an ineffectual defence by the massively outnumbered Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade, the 5th Division's attack was repelled with heavy losses on 22 September 1970 mostly through the efforts of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

Yom Kippur War

The 5th Division also saw action on the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...

during the Yom Kippur War, being deployed alongside the 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 9th divisions. The 5th Division, under the command of Brig. Gen. Ali Aslan, was responsible for the front south and east of Rafid, and north of the Yarmouk Valley. Although designated as an infantry division, it was actually a mechanized division. The 5th Division was the only deployed division which had its full complement of armoured and mechanised vehicles, with some 10,000 men, 200 tanks, 72 artillery pieces, and an equal number of anti-aircraft weapons.

Syrian civil war

Prior to 2011 the division seems to have been part of the 1st Corps (Syria). Commenting on events during the April–May 2011 Daraa siege, Henry Boyd of the

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think ...

noted that "the locally based 5th Armoured Division was supplemented by a brigade of the 4th Armoured Division under the command of Bashar’s brother Maher al-Assad."

Izra Izraʾ ( ar, إِزْرَع ) is a town in the Daraa Governorate of Syria, to the north of the city of Daraa. It is the administrative centre of the Izra' District, and sits at an altitude of 599 metres. Izra' had a population of 19,158 in 2004, ...

is base to the 5th Division'
12th Armoured Brigade
an
175th Artillery Regiment
The 12th Armoured Brigade has been reported as taking part in the

Siege of Menagh Air Base The siege of Menagh Air Base (also spelled ''Menegh'', ''Mannagh'', or ''Minakh'') was an armed confrontation between the Free Syrian Army and aligned Islamist rebel groups on one hand, and the Syrian Armed Forces on the other. Background Aft ...

, near the Turkish border. On 9 November 2014, during the

First Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin The Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin ( ar, معركة الشيخ مسكين الأولى) started with a Syrian Arab Army attempt, during the Syrian Civil War, Syrian civil war in Daraa Governorate, to capture Al-Shaykh Maskin and thus secure the ...

, rebels captured th
al-Hesh northern and southern hills
the Army training ground, al-Rahba battalion base, "al-Konkors" battalion base, the medical base
"al-Hejajia" tanks battalion base
and Hawi checkpoint around the city of Nawa. Later that day, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), rebels took control over the entire city after the Army retreated toward
Brigade 112 HQ base
(located between the two towns) as well as

Shaykh Maskin Al-Shaykh Maskin ( ar, الشيخ مسكين, Al-Sheikh Meskīn), also spelled Sheikh Maskīn, Sheikh Miskeen, is a town in southern Syria, administratively part of the Daraa Governorate, located north of Daraa. Nearby localities include Ibta' and ...

Brigade 112 HQ
was eventually captured by the rebels according to two Arab news agencies. Both local rebel groups and the al-Nusra Front claimed credit for the opposition advance. Syrian state broadcaster

SANA Sana may refer to: Places * Sanaa, the capital of Yemen * Sana (river), a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina * Sana, Bhutan, a town in Bhutan * Sana, Haute-Garonne, a commune in France * Sana, Iran, a village in Iran * Sana, Mali, a commune in M ...

said troops were "redeploying and reorganizing in the Nawa area... in order to prepare for upcoming fighting." At the end of the day, SOHR reported, the Army advanced inside Shaykh Maskin. As of 10 November, according to a military source cited by pro-government media, the Army was still present in the South and East Districts of Shaykh Maskin, and reportedly cleared the two besieged areas surroundin
base 82
and Brigade 112. The next day, rebels advanced in Shaykh Maskin and took control of new positions and eventually captured the eastern neighborhood on 12 November.

Combat history

Black September in Jordan

Yom Kippur War

Syrian civil war

References

Bibliography

Further reading