8th Armoured Division (Syria)

The 8th Armoured Division (Arabic: االفرقة الثالثة المدرعة) is a formation of the Syrian Army responsible for securing the northwestern approach to Hama.[1] 8th Armoured Division is part of the 3rd Corps.[1]

8th Armoured Division
الفرقة الثالثة المدرعة
Active2015–present[1]
Country Syria
Allegiance Syrian Armed Forces
Branch Syrian Arab Army
TypeArmoured division
RoleArmoured warfare
Sizeup to 10,000 soldiers (2019)
Garrison/HQHama
Engagements
Commanders
Current CommanderMaj. Gen. Assaf Nisani[3]
Notable
commanders		Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Khalifa[4]
Maj. Gen. Jamal Jounes

Command structure
8th Armoured Division (2020)
  • 33rd Armoured Brigade[5]
  • 47th Armoured Brigade[6]
  • 45th Mechanized Brigade
  • 45th Artillery Regiment

Source:[7][8][1]

Combat history

Formed in mid-2015 during the rebel's Idlib offensive, the division was designed to unify individual brigades that had either suffered significant losses in south Idlib/north Hama or whose division affiliations had weakened. In 2019, the 8th Division participated in the Operation Dawn of Idlib.[9] By 2020, new brigades were added to unit, such as 47th Brigade. It started as 3rd Division, got moved to 11th Division and then got shifted to the 8th Division.[6] The 33rd Brigade, formerly a part of the 9th Division, also moved to the unit.

References
  1. George Waters (18 July 2019). "The Lion and The Eagle: The Syrian Arab Army's Destruction and Rebirth". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army Launches Offensive South of Idlib City". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  3. Muhsen al-Mustafa (9 November 2021). "Chain of Command in the Syrian Military: Formal and Informal Tracks". Omran Center for strategic studies. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  4. "Syria appointed Major General Ibrahim Khalifa as Commander of the 8th Armored Division".
  5. Gregory Waters (12 March 2019). "Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib". International Review. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  6. Gregory Waters (17 July 2019). "Started as 3rd Division, got moved to 11th Division early on and then got shifted to the new 8th Division. It's got a weird shared custody between 8th and 11th now". Twitter. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  7. "Appendix 1: Structure and Command of Armed Forces and Intelligence Agencies". Human Rights Watch. 15 December 2011.
  8. Gregory Waters (12 May 2020). "Current Syrian Army Deployments". International Review. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  9. "Large number of Syrian soldiers deployed to Al-Ghaab Plain, offensive to begin soon". Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2019-07-17. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
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