8th Armoured Division (Syria)
| 8th Armoured Division | |
|---|---|
| الفرقة الثالثة المدرعة | |
 | |
| Active | 2015–present[1] |
| Country |  Syria |
| Allegiance |  Syrian Armed Forces |
| Branch |  Syrian Arab Army |
| Type | Armoured division |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | up to 10,000 soldiers (2019) |
| Garrison/HQ | Hama |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | Maj. Gen. Assaf Nisani[3] |
| Notable commanders | Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Khalifa[4] Maj. Gen. Jamal Jounes |
The 8th Armoured Division (Arabic: االفرقة الثالثة المدرعة) is a formation of the Syrian Army responsible for securing the northwestern approach to Hama.[1] 8th Armoured Division is part of the 3rd Corps.[1]
Command structure[edit]
- 8th Armoured Division (2020)
Combat history[edit]
Formed in mid-2015 during the rebel's Idlib offensive, the division was designed to unify individual brigades that had either suffered significant losses in south Idlib/north Hama or whose division affiliations had weakened. In 2019, the 8th Division participated in the Operation Dawn of Idlib.[9] By 2020, new brigades were added to unit, such as 47th Brigade. It started as 3rd Division, got moved to 11th Division and then got shifted to the 8th Division.[6] The 33rd Brigade, formerly a part of the 9th Division, also moved to the unit.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e George Waters (18 July 2019). "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army Launches Offensive South of Idlib City". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- ^ Muhsen al-Mustafa (9 November 2021). "Chain of Command in the Syrian Military: Formal and Informal Tracks". Omran Center for strategic studies. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Syria appointed Major General Ibrahim Khalifa as Commander of the 8th Armored Division".
- ^ Gregory Waters (12 March 2019). "Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib". International Review. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ a b Gregory Waters (17 July 2019). "Started as 3rd Division, got moved to 11th Division early on and then got shifted to the new 8th Division. It's got a weird shared custody between 8th and 11th now". Twitter. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Appendix 1: Structure and Command of Armed Forces and Intelligence Agencies". Human Rights Watch. 15 December 2011.
- ^ Gregory Waters (12 May 2020). "Current Syrian Army Deployments". International Review. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Large number of Syrian soldiers deployed to Al-Ghaab Plain, offensive to begin soon". Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2019-07-17. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-18.