Baqir Brigade
Baqir Brigade | |
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Liwa al-Baqir | |
Syrian Civil War
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The Baqir Brigade (Liwa al-Baqir, sometimes also Liwa al-Imam al-Baqir or Fawj al-Imam Baqir), named after
History
Foundation and early operations
There are conflicting accounts on when and how the Baqir Brigade was founded. The unit itself and its supporters claim that it was set up in 2012, just after the start of the Battle of Aleppo. Its founders were the brothers Khalid al-Hassan (nom de guerre: "al-Hajj Khalid" or "al-Hajj Baqir") and Abu al-Abbas (nom de guerre: "al-Hajj Hamza") who had fought as volunteers with Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War and started the Baqir Brigade after their father and older brother had been killed by rebels. Their unit initially had only 13 members, but allegedly soon managed to garner hundreds of recruits due to the charisma and military talent of the two brothers. According to this version, the brothers' militia also helped to break the siege of Aleppo's central prison during Operation Canopus Star in 2013/14.[1]
On the other side, the pro-opposition site alSouria.net argued that the Baqir Brigade was founded as part of the Local Defence Forces in 2015. With its fighters trained by Iraqi Shia militants and put under the protection of the Berri family (which is well known for its support of the al-Assad family), alSouria.net claimed that the militia was an attempt to create more native Shia pro-government units. Around this time, the Baqir Brigade reportedly operated under the leadership of the Iraqi Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, which also equipped its members.[1][9] Regional expert Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi found evidence for the Baqir Brigade's existence as far back as 2014. He argues that some kind of militia led by Khalid and Abu al-Abbas indeed originated in 2012, but that this earlier formation was reorganized or consolidated into the present-day Baqir Brigade only as part of the Local Defence Forces with strong Iranian and Hezbollah support around 2014.[1]
Operations since 2015
While its foundation and early operations are not well documented, the Baqir Brigade's involvement in the fighting in and around Aleppo since 2015 is better known. The militia took part in a
The Baqir Brigade, alongside other Iranian-backed militias, spearheaded the
On 6 April 2018, the Baqir Brigade declared
According to pro-opposition media, the Baqir Brigade was among the military units that were mobilized to guard Aleppo's airports after Israeli airstrikes in March 2019.[19] Two months later, Syrian news site Jorf News claimed that members of the Baqir Brigade were training naval combat in Latakia Governorate.[20]
On 15 September 2019, the group threatened to attack the US-backed
Politics
Ideology and Shia proselytization
The Baqir Brigade portrays itself as Syrian nationalist force,[5] "the first auxiliary [/reserve]" of the Syrian Army,[1][9] and as part of the wider "Islamic Resistance" against Salafism and Zionism.[1] It consequently often uses the portraits of the Axis of Resistance's leaders Bashar al-Assad, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ali Khamenei,[5][2] as well as imagery and language resembling that of Hezbollah (including its flag). As part of the "Islamic Resistance", the unit also refers to its fighters as mujahideen and prominently propagates those who have been killed in combat as martyrs.[1]
Strongly connected to Iran, the Baqir Brigade is believed to be part of an Iranian attempt to not just spread its political influence in Syria but to also spread Shia Islam in the region. In consequence, the militia mostly recruits converts to Shia Islam drawn from Syrian tribes. Most of the group's fighters are tribesmen belonging to the al-Baggara who were the target of successful Iranian-backed proselytization efforts before the civil war,[1][27][28] with up to 25% of the tribe converting.[29] One reason for this success is the purported descent of the al-Baggara from Muhammad al-Baqir, the Shia Imam after whom the Baqir Brigade is named.[1][28][30][27] The unit also has Sunni Muslim members.[12]
Fighters of the Baqir Brigade are trained and thus influenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, and Iraqi Shia militants.[1][28][30][27] Khalid al-Hassan was also once photographed with Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force.[5] The Baqir Brigade has also voiced support for the Yemeni Houthi movement, another group suspected being linked to Iran.[12] These international connections have led some analysts to claim that the Baqir Brigade is controlled by Iran.[5][12]
Involvement in governance and civil affairs
The militia also takes part in civil politics. It is connected to Omar Hussein al-Hassan, who has been described as "political leader" of the Baqir Brigade.[5] The militia consequently supported him as independent candidate during the Syrian parliamentary elections of 2016[1] and of 2020.[31] The militia also works with the Syrian State Ministry for the Affairs of National Reconciliation, and consequently tried to mediate between rival factions in Aleppo. In one notable case, it helped to conciliate the influential Abu Ra's and Berri clans.[1] In 2017, the militia also coordinated the reconciliation of Nawaf al-Bashir, a prominent al-Baggara tribal leader and former supporter of the Syrian opposition, with the government.[30]
The group is known for distributing humanitarian aid in areas where it operates.[5]
See also
- List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
- Shabiha
- Sabireen Movement
Notes
- ^ The militia claims to have been founded around 2012, while pro-Syrian opposition media argues that it was set up in 2015. The earliest evidence of the group's existence traces to 2014.[1][3]
- ^ In 2016, the Baqir Brigade claimed to have 3,000 members, while the Syrian opposition argued that it only had about 2,000 fighters.[1] In 2018, The New York Times estimated that the group had around 3,000 fighters.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (23 May 2016). "The Local Defence Forces: Regime Auxiliary Forces in Aleppo". Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Liwa al-Baqir (al-Baqir Brigade)" (PDF). Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Liwa al-Baqir". Jihad Intel. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^ Long War Journal. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k David Botti; Christian Triebert (14 June 2018). "The Militia That's Threatening American Troops in Syria". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ a b "'Esad rejimine bağlı güçler Afrin'e girdi' iddiası". Habertürk. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ "The Death of Two Commanders of the IRGC and Al-Baqir Brigade in Syria". Nedaa Syria. 27 October 2017. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ^ "Streitkräfte des Assad-Regimes, February 2017" [Armed forces of the Assad regime, February 2017] (PDF). Truppendienst.com (Austrian Armed Forces) (in German). 15 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ a b "التهميش يدفع مقاتلين في نظام الأسد للاستقلال عن الميليشيات الأجنبية بحلب" [Marginalization drives fighters in the Assad regime to independence from foreign militias in Aleppo]. alSouria.net (in Arabic). 4 January 2016. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Shiite Armed-Militias Geographical Distribution In Aleppo". Qasioun News. 29 October 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.
- ^ Amir Toumaj (9 December 2016). "Array of pro-Syrian government forces advances in Aleppo". Long War Journal. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Phillip Smyth (12 April 2018). "Iran Is Outpacing Assad for Control of Syria's Shia Militias". Washington Institute. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- Long War Journal. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ Christoph Reuter. American Fury: The Truth About the Russian Deaths in Syria: Hundreds of Russian soldiers are alleged to have died in U.S. airstrikes at the beginning of February. Reporting by DER SPIEGEL shows that events were likely very different. Der Spiegel, 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Turkey shells Assad loyalists trying to cross into Syria's Afrin". Middle East Eye. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Borzou Daragahi (16 April 2018). "Iranian-Backed Militias Set Sights on U.S. Forces". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ "Iranian-backed Baqir Brigade announces the start of its military operations against US forces in Syria". Deir ez Zor 24. 7 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ a b Mona Alami (4 September 2019). "Will escalation in Iran-US tensions impact Syria conflict?". al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Large movements of the Iranian militias in Aleppo". Nedaa Syria. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ Seth J. Frantzman (21 May 2019). "Iranian IRGC in Syria's Latakia? - Report". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "Syrian Army, Liwaa Al-Quds send reinforcements to SDF front-lines in Deir Ezzor". Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ^ "Powerful pro-gov't force vows to capture SDF-held areas in Deir Ezzor: video". Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ^ Mais Hamad (29 January 2020). "Aleppo is living nightmare of future battle". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ Joe Truzman (5 February 2020). "Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias suffer heavy losses fighting in Syria". Long War Journal. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ Sirwan Kajjo (23 November 2020). "Iran Strengthens Military Presence in Eastern Syria". VOA. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "After loosing nearly 150 soldiers in a month. Regime forces and loyal militias bring in military reinforcement to repel ISIS attacks in the desert". SOHR. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ a b c AFPC (2017), p. 340.
- ^ a b c Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (15 May 2017). "Analysis: Why the War in Syria May Not Be About Demographic Change". Syrian deeply. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Carole A. O'Leary; Nicholas A. Heras (15 September 2011). "Shiite Proselytizing in Northeastern Syria Will Destabilize a Post-Assad Syria". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ a b c "Iran has the strongest influence in eastern Syria, the "al-Baqir Brigade" and details of its forming in a special report of NSO". North Syrian Observer. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "War Profiteers in Syria Enter Politics". New Lines Institute. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Works cited
- ISBN 978-1442273443.