Pro-Government Militias
Dhu-al-Fiqar Battalion (Liwa Dhulfiqar) (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 540 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | June 5, 2013 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | News sources contradict each other on the exact circumstances of formation. According to one news source, the Liwa Dhulfiqar was first mentioned on 5 June 2013 and that it was created from the Abu-al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade (which is coded as separate PGM). It is also suggested that the Dhulfiqar emerged out of an infighting in the Abu-Al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade, as commanders did not want to fight under Syrian command anymore. The new Liwa Dhulifiqar might the group of those not accepting Syrian command; the news source suggests that they have to accept Syrian command out of necessity. Another news source says that Hezbollah set up the Liwa Dhulfiqar in July 2013. It mentions that according to Syrian opposition the Liwa Dhulifiqar was created from the Abu-al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade, congruent with the other news source. Both the Liwa Dhulifiqar and the Abu-al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade have links to the Lebanese Hezbollah. |
| 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: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | military; foreign support |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | Lebanese Hezbollah |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; religious; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | religious |
| Location: | Damascus |
| Force Strength: | [75, 7000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Shi'a Arabs (Iraq) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Dhu-al-Fiqar Battalion (Liwa Dhulfiqar) is also known as Liwa Zulfiqar or Tho al-Faqar Brigade. Its fighters are mainly drawn from other Shia militias, such as Muqtada al-Sadr’s Liwa’a al-Yum al-Mawud (Promised Day Brigades), Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kata’ib Hizballah. It shares many leaders and fighters with the al-Abbas Brigade. In June 2014, it formed the Alawite Anger Division together with the Imam al-Husayn Brigade to regain control of areas held by the Islamic State. There are also reports that the PGM is simply a Liwa’a Abu Fadl al- Abbas (LAFA) front or part of LAFA, as most of its members and leadership appear to have been drawn from LAFA. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the militia is to protect Shi’i religious shrines in Damascus, especially the Al-Sayyidah Zaynahb shrine. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Together with other PGMs, the Dhu-al-Fiqar Battalion killed children and women in the Al-Nabak neighbourhoods. |
| 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? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The commander of the PGM, Abu Shahd, mentioned in March 2014 an operation involving 75 combatants. A news source from June 2014 estimates an overall group size of 7,000 fighters. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The PGM receives heavy weapons from the Syrian army, including tank and artillery support. Most of its Iraqi Shiite fighters are trained in Iran. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The Dhu-al-Fiqar Battalion supports the Assad regime. It relies on the cooperation with Assad’s forces which provide them with weapons and funnel supplies to the group. The Battalion has two commanders, Abu Shahd Al-Jaburi and Abu-Hajir. Both leaders had previously been mentioned as leaders of the Abu-al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.