Lions of Hussein
| Lions of Hussein | |
|---|---|
|
Quwat Humat Souriya - Usud al-Hussein Participant in the Syrian Civil War |
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The logo of the militia. On the bottom the slogan "Homeland, Honour, Sincerity" is written.
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| Active |
1980s – 2015 (as Shabiha and criminal organization) |
| Leaders | Muhammad Tawfiq al-Assad † Hussein Tawfiq al-Assad |
| Headquarters | Qardaha |
| Area of operations | Syria |
| Allies |
 Syrian Armed Forces Hezbollah   Various other Syrian pro-government militias
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| Opponents |
  Syrian opposition and allied mujahideen Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Army of Conquest
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| Battles and wars | |
1980s – 2015 (as Shabiha and criminal organization)
The Guardians of Syria Forces - Lions of Hussein (Quwat Humat Souriya - Usud al-Hussein), formerly known as Lions of Hussein Brigade (Liwa Usud al-Hussein) and often shortened to Lions of Hussein, are an Alawite militia which fights for the Ba'athist government during the Syrian Civil War. The unit originates as Shabiha and criminal organization that has operated in Latakia Governorate since the 1980s, and only adopted its current name and appearance in 2015. Since then, the Lions of Hussein reportedly continued their "criminal activities on the side".
The Lions of Hussein began as the personal gang of Muhammad Tawfiq al-Assad, a native of Qardaha and member of the wider Al-Assad family. In the 1980s, the group ran smuggling networks throughout Latakia, dealt in contraband as well as drugs, and was reportedly involved in kidnappings, extortion and theft. Between 1989 and 1994, they operated as government-sanctioned Shabiha, with Mohammed amassing millions of Syrian pounds and becoming notorious and feared as smuggler and "highway robber (qata’ al-tariq)". According to a Syrian opposition source, the activities of the group became so excessive that Bassel al-Assad had Muhammad and some of his aides thrown into prison, though they were eventually released on the orders of Bashar al-Assad.
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Wikipedia