Liwa al-Quds (Arabic:لواء القدس; meaning theJerusalem Brigade) was a predominantlySyrian Palestinian paramilitary group andSyrian Army brigade that operated as a part of pro-Syrian government forces in theSyrian Civil War. In 2019, it became a part of theSyrian Army's5th Assault Corps.[3] It was formed in 2013 by the engineer Muhammad al-Sa'eed. The fighters who called themselves the "Syrian Arab Army Fedayeen" were active inAleppo andDaraa.[3] The paramilitary was composed of Palestinian refugees from theNeirab camp[7] andEin Al-Tal camp as well as reconciled rebels.[1]
Liwa al-Quds was founded in 2013 as a pro-government militia, reportedly with the support of theAir Force Intelligence Directorate.Syrian opposition supporters regarded them asShabiha.[10]
By the beginning of 2015, the group had suffered 200 killed and over 400 wounded since its establishment.[4] The group supported the Syrian Army in its effort to reopen the main supply line to Aleppo in late 2015.[11]
By mid-2016, it had become one of the most important pro-government paramilitary groups inAleppo Governorate. On 20 June 2016, the group took part in aprisoner exchange with three rebel factions, namely theSultan Murad Division, theMuntasir Billah Brigade, and theNour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, in coordination withAhrar al-Sham.[10]
In June 2017, Liwa al-Quds launched a recruitment campaign inHoms Governorate, where it aimed at enlisting young Palestinian refugees.[12][13]
In May 2018 Liwa al-Quds was fighting against the ISIL pocket in the desert ofDeir ez-Zor Governorate as a part of joint operation with theNDF and SAA forces. Liwa al-Quds captured village of Faydat Umm Muwaynah.[14]
In July 2018, Samer Rafe, a prominent commander of the militia, was arrested in Latakia after afirefight with government forces. He had previously been arrested on charges of robbery in Aleppo, confessed to the charges, and served a prison term of one year before being released.[15]
In the first half of 2019, Liwa al-Quds suffered heavy casualties on multiple fronts, most notably duringOperation Dawn of Idlib.[16] As of 2019, the Liwa al-Quds had more than 1,100 fighters killed during the Syrian civil war.[17]In March 2024, IS fighters ambushed a Liwa al-Quds vehicle carrying ammunition and guns in eastern Homs countryside, killing the three guards and capturing the cargo.[18]
Liwa al-Quds was among the loyalist units which unsuccessfully tried to halt the2024 Syrian opposition offensives.[19] Asrebels advanced into Aleppo, Liwa al-Quds retreated from its local base in the Neirab camp without organizing resistance on 30 November.[20][21] After thefall of the Assad regime in December 2024, theSyrian transitional government demanded that all Palestinian armed groups in Syria disarm themselves, dissolve their military formations, and instead focus on political and charitable work.[22]
The brigade had bothSyrian Palestinian as well as nativeSyrian members.[10] The brigade had close connections to both Iran and Russia, and was supplied as well as trained by theRussian Armed Forces.[16][23] Its fighters referred to themselves as "Syrian Arab ArmyFedayeen", showcasing their loyalty to the Syrian military.[16] Before the government victory in the Battle of Aleppo, the brigade consisted of three main battalions, which are: Lions of al-Quds Battalion, which operated in al-Nayrab camp and its surrounding as well as in southern and eastern countryside of Aleppo; the Deterrence Battalion, which operated in the north Aleppo countryside south of the villages ofNubl andAl-Zahraa; and the Lions of al-Shahba' Battalion, which operated inside Aleppo city.
By 2018, the group had started recruiting formerSyrian rebels that agreed to join pro-government military units as part of reconciliation deals with the Syrian government. More than 150 formerFree Syrian Army fighters had joined Liwa al-Quds by 2019. They received military training and supervision from Russian officers during the first quarter of 2019.[24] In fall 2019, Liwa al-Quds became part of the Syrian Army's5th Assault Corps as autonomous brigade.[25][26]
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