Pro-Government Militias
Desert Falcons (Suqur al-Sahra) (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 534 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | June 1, 2013 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | The Desert Falcons were founded by General Mohammad Jaber, a retired Syrian Army officer, in early 2013. Due to the absence of defense contracting companies he contracted mercenaries himself into the newly founded group. The date coded in June 2013 is the date when the Desert Falcons are mentioned for the first time as fighting alongside the Syrian government for the capture of the town of al-Qaryatayan in Homs province. |
| 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 information |
| Former Armed Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| 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; military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | unclear |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | self-maintained |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces; ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Homs, Latakia, Kasab, border areas with Jordan and Iraq |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Suqur al-Sahra, or Desert Falcons (sometimes called Desert Hawks) are considered an elite force expert in desert fighting. Its members have a high degree of military expertise, being retired officers and members of the army, as well as volunteers from different age groups. After 2015, the General Jaber reached out to Russians and offered his force in exchange for weapons and armor, as well as in order to reclaim his wealth. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Originally, the purpose of the Desert Falcons was to protect the oil assets of General Jaber. Their purpose gradually evolved into fighting rebels and to secure border areas. Assad used the Desert Falcons alongside the regular army to mitigate the risk of defections and counter potential disloyalty of army members. The PGM is considered one of the most effective fighting forces in Syria. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | loyalty |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | General Jaber paid the members generous wages in return for their allegiance and protection. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The Desert Falcons are armed with light and medium weapons. They have machine-guns and the army supports them with artillery when necessary. General Jaber purchased most of the equipment from western arms dealers. The group’s soldiers are well-equipped. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group is the private militia of General Jaber. It regularly cooperates with the Syrian government and the military. The military provides the PGM with artillery. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.