Pro-Government Militias
Syrian Resistance (Muqawama Suriya) (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 522 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 2011 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The Syrian Resistance was formed in 2011 by Mihraç Ural, a naturalized Turkish-born Alawite with ties to the Syrian government. He recruited young Alawites on the coast and set them to work as a pro-government militia. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | unclear |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; religious; ideology |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Latakia |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 2000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; foreigners |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; protect property and investment; self-defense and security; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Sunni Arabs (Syria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Alawi (Syria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | Sunni Arabs (Syria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | given |
Other Information
| Other Information: | It is not clear whether the organization is the successor or the alias of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Iskanderoun, as both groups are led by Mihraç Ural. The group’s leader is often accompanied on official occasions by the Alawi religious Mowaffaq al-Ghazal. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group’s main purpose is not entirely clear. The leader himself emphasized that their purpose was to guard the border and prevent foreigners from entering the country. The group also participates in the fight against insurgents in the Syrian civil war. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The Syrian Resistance militia is held responsible for the massacre in Banias, where numerous Sunni civilian families were killed. The group itself denies committing violence against civilians. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: | One news source dated March 2014 mentions that the Syrian Resistance is allegedly composed of 2,000 fighters. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Syrian Resistance fighters reportedly have AK-47 guns. Members use their own guns. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The Syrian Resistance is led by Mihraç Ural, also known by his nom de guerre Ali Kayali. Being an Alawite from Turkey, he lived in Syria since the early 1980s and has developed a lasting relationship with the Assad regime. In 2014, Ural was reported to have died in battle, which turned out to be a wrong report. As late as 2018, Ural was still alive and the commander of the Syrian Resistance (The Syrian Observer 2018). |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.