The Desert Hawks Brigade ( ar, لواء صقور الصحراء, ''liwāʾ suqūr aṣ-ṣaḥrāʾ'', Liwa Suqur al-Sahara) was an armed private militia branch affiliated with 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 ...
which fought on the side of the
Syrian government in the
Syrian Civil War. It was primarily composed of former military officers and veterans as well as volunteers from other pro-government groups, with an age range of 25 to 40 years. The brigade has been described as an "elite"
group trained in
ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind mo ...
tactics, and has been employed in special assignments on several fronts. The group is equipped with light and medium arms, and is given artillery support from the regular Syrian Army when needed.
History
According to some sources, the group was formed in
Homs Governorate
Homs Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حمص / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥimṣ'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in central Syria. Its area differs in various sources, from to . It is thus geographic ...
and operated in the desert regions bordering
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and
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 ...
to cut routes used by anti-government rebel groups to smuggle fighters and supplies in and out of Syria.
However, other sources state that the group was formed in early 2013 due to a near general collapse of
the Syrian Army supply system where by mid-2012 the Army soldiers lacked not only fuel and ammunition but also basic necessities such as food. In an environment of an internationally imposed embargo the Syrian government reached out to wealthy and well connected individuals (often of highly controversial background) such as Mohamed Jaber and Ayman Jaber in order to provide the necessary resources.
In addition, the Syrian government allowed such individuals to form private militia units, such as Desert Hawks, whose members were better equipped than regular army soldiers due to connections and financial resources available to the Jaber brothers.
Some sources also state that "paramilitary recruitment has been far more successful than army conscription, as it tends to occur through local, informal networks and family or community ties... it’s also easier to join a paramilitary group and then leave it".
Although funded and formed by the Jaber brothers the unit was operationally lead by Staff Colonel Mohsen Said Hussein, a Republican Guard officer and paratrooper.
One of the units tasks was to protect the oil and gas fields on Syrian territory and serve as a rapid response force.
Service history
It participated in the June 2013 capture of the town of
al-Qaryatayn
Al-Qaryatayn ( ar, ٱلْقَرْيَتَين, syr, ܩܪܝܬܝܢ), also spelled Karyatayn, Qaratin or Cariatein, is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate located southeast of Homs. It is situated on an oasis i ...
, where it lost one of its commanders in the fighting.
After rebels
launched an offensive in northern
Latakia Governorate
Latakia Governorate, also transliterated as Ladhakia Governorate, ( ar, مُحافظة اللاذقية / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat al-Lādhiqīyah'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in western Syria, bordering Turkey's Hata ...
and seized control of the majority-
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
town of
Kessab
Kessab, Kesab, or Kasab ( ar, كسب ; hy, Քեսապ, Kesab) is a mostly Armenian-populated town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Latakia Governorate, located 59 kilometers north of Latakia. It is situated near the border w ...
, Suqur al-Sahra was transferred to that front, where its members helped lead the capture of the strategic height of Tower 45,
losing at least three members in combat.
On November 2014 during the battle for Shaer gas field the units (operational) commander Mohsen Hussein was killed while attempting to expel ISIL terrorists from the facility.
In December 2015 the unit participated in operation which rescued a downed Russian co-pilot after his plane was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet (the pilot was killed by anti-government armed forces while descending to the ground).
In course of the
2015–16 Latakia offensive, the brigade developed a close connection to the Shia militant group
LAAG, which began to provide advisors to Suqur al-Sahara.
The unit participated in both Palmyra liberation campaigns. However, during the first liberation campaign, in March 2016, it was involved in a friendly fire incident with the SAA Tiger Forces members which left 9 Desert Hawk members dead and several dozen injured. The incident badly strained the relationship/cooperation between the two most successful Syrian pro-government units
which had successfully cooperated just one month prior, in East Aleppo.
In June 2016 the unit together with the
Syrian Marines
Faouj Maghawir al-Bahr ( ar, فوج مغاوير البحر, Faouj Maghawir al-Bahr, Marines Regiment) or the Syrian Marines is a military unit based in the Latakia Governorate. It has participated in operations in the Syrian Civil War.
In Feb ...
(a sister unit of the Desert Hawks which is led by Ayman Jaber the brother of Desert Hawks leader Mohamed Jaber)
participated in the unsuccessful Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive with some sources blaming the stated units for the failure. However, other sources pointed to a general lack of planning in the Syrian Arab Army high command as the root cause of the failure.
The offensive began shortly after Kurdish forces achieved notable advances in Manbij and the Syrian command attempted to exploit this, reportedly believing that ISIL would be unable to fight on two different fronts simultaneously.
Desert Hawks participated in the Aleppo liberation campaign which was successfully concluded in December 2016. However, their achievement was somewhat tarnished after it was learned that after the battle several of its members reportedly looted civilian property in the city.
In early 2017 one of the Desert Hawks founders was arrested by other government forces after supposedly "interfering with a government convoy".
In late June 2017 the unit deployed to the East Hama front but was withdrawn after only a few days due to unknown reasons. In early July 2017, reports emerged that members of the unit had allegedly desecrated corpses of killed ISIL terrorists.
By September 2019, more than 1,000 Desert Hawks members were killed during the Syrian Civil War.
Portrayal in the media
The Desert Hawks together with the Syrian Arab Army
Tiger Forces
The 25th Special Mission Forces Division, mostly known by their former name Tiger Forces or Quwwat al-Nimr ( ar, قُوَّات النِّمْر), is an elite formation (special forces unit) of the Syrian Arab Army which functions primarily as ...
were one of the most combat effective pro-government units.
However, the units success on the battlefield was frequently overshadowed by the highly negative public perceptions of their founders (Mohamed Jaber and Ayman Jaber) who are portrayed as warlords and smugglers exploiting the war situation in Syria in order to increase their own personal wealth.
Subsequently, the Desert Hawks were stigmatized as Jaber's own personal guard and only then a pro-government unit
of possibly questionable long-term loyalty to the current Syrian government.
On the other hand, other pro-government units have a similar oligarch background, for example, the Syrian Arab Army Tiger Forces (which are highly praised in the pro-government media) are financed by Rami Makhlouf, current Syrian president Assads cousin and one of the wealthiest men in Syria.
Disbandment
On 2 August 2017, the Desert Hawks Brigade was disbanded, with Colonel Jaber returning to Russia,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
or the disputed
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
region to continue his pre-war employment. The soldiers will allegedly be spread out between the
Qalamoun Shield Forces
The Qalamoun Shield Forces ( ar, قوات درع القلمون, ''Quwwāt Dirʿ l-Qalamūn'', short: QSF) was a militia formed by natives of the Qalamoun Mountains that fought for the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War. Originally a ...
,
3rd Armoured Division, the 5th Corps and the
Syrian Marines
Faouj Maghawir al-Bahr ( ar, فوج مغاوير البحر, Faouj Maghawir al-Bahr, Marines Regiment) or the Syrian Marines is a military unit based in the Latakia Governorate. It has participated in operations in the Syrian Civil War.
In Feb ...
of 103rd Commando Brigade of the
Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
which is commanded by his brother, Colonel Aymen Jaber.
A transfer to the closely linked Syrian Marines seemed unlikely since the personnel from this unit have also began transferring to other units.
See also
*
Tiger Forces
The 25th Special Mission Forces Division, mostly known by their former name Tiger Forces or Quwwat al-Nimr ( ar, قُوَّات النِّمْر), is an elite formation (special forces unit) of the Syrian Arab Army which functions primarily as ...
*
Ba'ath Brigades
The Ba'ath Brigades ( ar, كتائب البعث, Katā'ib al-Baʿth), also known as the Ba'ath Battalions, were a volunteer militia made up of Syrian Ba'ath Party members, almost entirely of Sunni Muslims from Syria and many Arab countries, loya ...
*
Syrian Resistance
The Syrian Resistance (''al-Muqāwamat al-Sūriyah'', Arabic: المقاومة السورية), formerly known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Sanjak of Iskandarun (Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير لواء اسـ ...
*
Syrian Marines
Faouj Maghawir al-Bahr ( ar, فوج مغاوير البحر, Faouj Maghawir al-Bahr, Marines Regiment) or the Syrian Marines is a military unit based in the Latakia Governorate. It has participated in operations in the Syrian Civil War.
In Feb ...
References
{{reflist
Anti-ISIL factions in Syria
Pro-government factions of the Syrian civil war
Military units and formations established in 2013
2013 establishments in Syria