1st Armoured Division (Syria)

1st Armoured Division
1st Armoured Division
الفرقة المدرعة الأولى
	Syrian Armed Forces Flag
Active	1970 – present
Country	Syria
Allegiance	Syrian Armed Forces
Branch	Syrian Army
Type	Armoured division
Role	Armoured warfare
Size	up to 15,000 soldiers
Garrison/HQ	Al-Kiswah; Douma (61st Brigade); Al-Rastan (171st Brigade)
Engagements	Yom Kippur War; 1982 Lebanon War Battle of Jezzine (1982); Battle of Sultan Yacoub; ; Syrian Civil War Battle of Rastan (2011); Battle of Rastan (January–February 2012); Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011 – March 2012); 2012 Homs offensive; Damascus offensive (2013); 2014 Idlib offensive; Aleppo offensive (September–October 2016); Khan al-Shih offensive (October–November 2016); Qalamoun offensive (2017); Central Syria campaign; Eastern Syria campaign (September–December 2017); As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018); Operation Dawn of Idlib; ;
Commanders
Current Commander	Maj. Gen. Maaen Younis al-Kaiem
Chief of Staff	Brig. Gen. Hussein Mahmoud
Administrative command	Brig. Gen. Anwar Shamsin (Political Guidance); Brig. Gen. Maan Dahma (Operations); Brig. Gen. Mohammad Abbas (Engineering); Brig. Gen. Hassan Barakat (Reconnaissance)
Notable; commanders	Col. Gen. Ali Habib Mahmud; Lt. Gen. Ali Aslan; Maj. Gen. Tawfiq Younes; Gen. Ibrahim Al-Safi; Maj. Gen. Zuheir al-Assad

The 1st Armoured Division (Arabic: الفرقة المدرعة الأولى) is an armored division of the Syrian Arab Army. It was established in 1970 and is part of the 2nd Corps.^[13] The 1st Division is the largest formation of the Syrian Arab Army.

^ Samuel M. Katz, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars, Osprey Publishing Men-at-Arms 194, 1988, 13.
^ ^a ^b Waters, Gregory (18 July 2019). "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
^ Leith Fadel (22 October 2016). "Syrian Army reinforcements pour into Aleppo ahead of jihadist offensive". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
^ Charkatli, Izat (1 December 2016). "Map Update: Western Ghouta firmly under government control". Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
^ Leith Fadel (29 July 2017). "Large number of Syrian Army reinforcements head to central Syria". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
^ Gregory Waters (12 March 2019). "Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib". International Review. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
^ Major General Maaen Younis Alkaiem (From Latakia Governorate) was appointed as commander of the First Division of the Syrian Army.
^ ^a ^b @GregoryPWaters (30 November 2018). "1st Div is led by Maj Gen Zuheir al-Assad w/ Chief of Staff Brig Gen Hussein Mahmoud. Administrative branches incl…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ According to sources loyal to the Assad regime General Ibrahim Al-Safi died at the age of 83.
^ Dunstan, Simon (2003). The Yom Kippur War 1973: Golan Heights Pt.1. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Ltd. pp. 17, 18. ISBN 1-84176-220-2.
^ Laffin, John (1985). The War of Desperation: Lebanon. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Ltd. pp. 33–37. ISBN 9780850456035.
^ Richard M. Bennett, The Syrian Military: A Primer, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, August/September 2001.
^ Hanna Batatu (1999). Syria's Peasantry, the Descendants of Its Lesser Rural Notables, and Their Politics. Princeton University Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-0-691-00254-5.

[1] Samuel M. Katz, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars, Osprey Publishing Men-at-Arms 194, 1988, 13.

[LionEagleWat-2] Waters, Gregory (18 July 2019). "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 4 September 2019.

[3] Leith Fadel (22 October 2016). "Syrian Army reinforcements pour into Aleppo ahead of jihadist offensive". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.

[firmly-4] Charkatli, Izat (1 December 2016). "Map Update: Western Ghouta firmly under government control". Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2016.

[5] Leith Fadel (29 July 2017). "Large number of Syrian Army reinforcements head to central Syria". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2017.

[6] Gregory Waters (12 March 2019). "Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib". International Review. Retrieved 22 March 2023.

[7] Major General Maaen Younis Alkaiem (From Latakia Governorate) was appointed as commander of the First Division of the Syrian Army.

[mei5-8] @GregoryPWaters (30 November 2018). "1st Div is led by Maj Gen Zuheir al-Assad w/ Chief of Staff Brig Gen Hussein Mahmoud. Administrative branches incl…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[9] According to sources loyal to the Assad regime General Ibrahim Al-Safi died at the age of 83.

[Osprey_Publishing_Ltd-10] Dunstan, Simon (2003). The Yom Kippur War 1973: Golan Heights Pt.1. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Ltd. pp. 17, 18. ISBN 1-84176-220-2.

[11] Laffin, John (1985). The War of Desperation: Lebanon. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Ltd. pp. 33–37. ISBN 9780850456035.

[12] Richard M. Bennett, The Syrian Military: A Primer, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, August/September 2001.

[Batatu1999-13] Hanna Batatu (1999). Syria's Peasantry, the Descendants of Its Lesser Rural Notables, and Their Politics. Princeton University Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-0-691-00254-5.

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1st Armoured Division (October 1973)
Parent unit	Syrian Army^[10]
Components	4th Armoured Brigade 91st Armoured Brigade 2nd Mechanised Infantry Brigade 64th Artillery Brigade

1st Armoured Division (1982)
Parent unit	Syrian Army^[11]
Components	91st Armoured Brigade 76th Armoured Brigade 58th Mechanised Infantry Brigade

1st Armoured Division (2001)
Parent unit	2nd Corps^[12]
Components	44th Armoured Brigade 46th Armoured Brigade 42nd Mechanized Brigade