Golan Regiment

Golan Regiment
فوج الجولان Fouj al-Joulan Participant in Syrian Civil War
The Golan Regiment generally uses the Ba'athist flag of Syria as logo.
Active	2011–present
Ideology	Druze interests Anti-Zionism
Allegiance	National Defence Forces
Groups	Fist Battalion
Leaders	Majid Himoud (overall and Fist Battalion commander)
Headquarters	Hader, Quneitra Governorate
Area of operations	Syria
Originated as	al-Mutasim Battalion
Allies	Syrian Armed Forces Hezbollah
Opponents	Syrian opposition and allied mujahideen  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  Israel
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Quneitra Governorate clashes (2012–14) Quneitra offensive (June 2015) Quneitra offensive (October 2015) Ithriyah-Raqqah offensive (February–March 2016) Palmyra offensive (March 2016) Ithriyah-Raqqah offensive (June 2016) Quneitra offensive (September 2016) Palmyra offensive (December 2016–present)

Syrian Civil War

The Golan Regiment (Arabic: فوج الجولان, Fouj al-Joulan) is a predominantly Druze militia that is part of the National Defence Forces (NDF) and based in Hader, Quneitra Governorate. Though primarily active in the Golan Heights, the unit has been deployed in various warzones of western Syria, fighting against many different Syrian opposition forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Golan Regiment is notable insofar as it originated as rebel group, but at some point defected to the government.

The beginnings of the Golan Regiment trace back to 2011, when its later leader Majid Himoud volunteered for the Syrian Army. According to Himoud, the officers in his division abused him and other soldiers, whereupon they decided to defect. In December 2011, they formed a Free Syrian Army unit under Himoud's leadership, the al-Mutasim Battalion, and began to fight against the government near the border to Israel. At some point, Majid Himoud contacted the NDF commander whose troops he was primarily fighting. The two agreed to a local ceasefire, and after eight months of talks, Himoud told the NDF commander that he and his men wanted to return to the government side. After negotiations, they received an amnesty by president Bashar al-Assad, and became a National Defence Forces/Popular Committee unit, centered in Hader, a mostly Druze town that is generally considered to be staunchly pro-Assad.

In course of the Quneitra offensive in June 2015, the Golan Regiment and the Quneitra Hawks Brigade first held two strategic significant hills against numerous rebel assaults, and then aided the Syrian Army in retaking Tal Hamr and lifting the siege of Hader. They consequently helped to fend off further attacks against Hader by the Southern Front and allied mujahideen. Throughout July, the Golan Regiment helped to defend several towns and hills in the Golan Heights against various Southern Front-led attacks, and participated in a major government counter-offensive in the area.