Iran is attempting to seize command of the Syrian army.

Iran is attempting to seize command of the Syrian army. The takeover was achieved in part by the assimilation of Shiite militias into the Syrian army. According to our assessment, the “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” militia (or at least some of its subunits), also known by its operatives as the “Lions of the Fourth Division” or “Maher al-Assad’s Men,” was integrated as an organic force within the 4th Division, and the militia operatives actually became division soldiers. The 4th Division has evolved into an Iranian proxy, reporting directly to the Quds Force, which conducts direct offensive operations against Israel and American soldiers in Syria. Maher al-Assad (brother of President Bashar al-Assad) commands the 4th Division.

The “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” is a militia made up of sub-units (militias) primarily made up of Syrian operatives (Sunnis, Druze, and Shiites) and Iraqi operatives (of Shi’ite background). In 2017, militia unit operatives began identifying themselves as “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” operatives. The Al-Imam Hussein Brigade began fighting alongside the Syrian Army against opposition forces and ISIS under the Quds Force’s patronage and Lebanese Hezbollah’s patronage. The militia mostly fought alongside the Syrian Army’s 4th Division (see Appendix A – Combat Zones). Along with Iraqis and Syrians, there are Lebanese, Afghans, Pakistanis, Yemenis, Sudanese, and others. According to our understanding, some of the sub-units (militias) that comprise the “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” have been operating and fighting separately since the beginning of Syria’s civil war and have been united under the “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” since 2016. READ MORE