Hezbollah Withdraws Elite Forces from Syria After 14 Years of Interventions to Protect the Regime
September 23, 2024, 11:33 am

Hezbollah Withdraws Elite Forces from Syria After 14 Years of Interventions to Protect the Regime

حزب الله وإيران/ أرشيفية

Hezbollah has responded to recent cyber and military attacks from Israel by recalling some of its troops operating in various Arab countries, particularly elite units and special task forces stationed in Syria.

The call for reinforcements from Syria has affected forces located in Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor provinces, as well as in the Syrian desert sectors. Meanwhile, military outposts belonging to the Syrian regime and independent sites in southern Syrian provinces have seen the deployment of Hezbollah units and repositioning in areas they had vacated earlier this year, according to military and security sources speaking to Syria TV.

Since the beginning of September, Hezbollah has issued a directive to its units to increase their readiness across all Syrian territories and prepare for new deployments without specifying their locations.

On September 18 and 19, security and military groups operating in Syria under Hezbollah were instructed to hand over their assigned tasks to the operational command and the sectors of the Syrian army in their areas of presence. The Lebanese militia has required the informed groups to place themselves and their military equipment at the disposal of the commanders responsible for Hezbollah's operations in both Qusayr, in Homs countryside, and Zabadani, in Damascus countryside, for their subsequent transfer to southern Lebanon.

According to sources, the number of returning Lebanese fighters has exceeded 700 by Sunday evening, with about two-thirds of them recalled by the party through smuggling routes under its control in rural Damascus, while some fighters returned using private vehicles and legally through customs crossings.

سلسة غارات إسرائيلية على بلدات في القطاع الأوسط جنوبي لبنان

The militia organizes the return trips sporadically, with fighters being transported in small groups of no more than ten members using small buses, civilian transport trucks, or even motorcycles, as a form of camouflage to avoid being targeted by Israeli drones that operate in the area for extended periods daily.

The source confirmed that the majority of the returning elements are from the “Radwan Unit,” which is considered Hezbollah's elite and spearheads its direct military engagements. The Radwan Unit operates in Qusayr, Zabadani, and Qalamoun, with special camps near the town of Douma in rural Damascus and others in eastern Homs countryside.

Hezbollah's mobilization, coinciding with heightened military pressure along the Lebanese-Israeli border, is not limited to reinforcing its forces in the south through the recall of troops from Syria alone; it has also involved the return of leadership cadres and trainers from Iraq and Yemen.

Special sources revealed to Syria TV that experts specializing in training teams for the operation and management of drones and missile systems have returned from Yemen and Iraq to Syria since the beginning of September and have immediately moved to Lebanon.

Hezbollah experts oversee military programs for the Yemeni "Ansar Allah" militia, which includes the development and operation of guided anti-tank and fortification missile systems, as well as handling chemical weapons and integrating them with thermal missiles.

In late 2022, a Saudi security source informed Syria TV that the Syrian regime organizes and facilitates the use of Syrian territory by Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as training camps for Yemeni militias, confirming that groups from Yemen have undergone military training several times in the Al-Darij area of rural Damascus.

The withdrawal of hundreds of elements and cadres from Syria and other countries does not signify Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Syria after 14 years of involvement aimed at protecting the Syrian regime from collapse. Instead, it is a tactical maneuver in response to the Israeli threat and escalation in Lebanon. If an agreement is reached that alleviates the specter of war over Lebanon, Hezbollah is expected to return to Syria with an even larger force.

Series of Israeli Airstrikes on Towns in Central Southern Lebanon Concerns Over Breaches: Iranian Revolutionary Guard Inspects All Communication Devices

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.