Ba'ath Brigades

Ba'ath Brigades كتائب البعث
Participant in the Syrian Civil War
Ba'ath Brigades SSI and Insignia Ba'ath Brigades Flag
Active	Summer 2012 – present
Ideology	Syrian nationalism, Ba'athism, Secularism.
Leaders	Mohammed Khaddour
Headquarters	Aleppo
Area of operations	Syria Aleppo Governorate Damascus Governorate Latakia Governorate Tartus Governorate As-Suwayda Governorate
Strength	7,000 claimed (December 2013)
Allies	Syrian Armed Forces National Defense Force
Opponents	Free Syrian Army Islamic Front al-Nusra Front Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Battle of Aleppo (2012–present) Operation Canopus Star Operation Rainbow Aleppo offensive (July 2015) Kuweires offensive Aleppo offensive (October–November 2015)

The Ba'ath Brigades (Arabic: كتائب البعث‎‎ Katā'ib al-Baʿth), also known as the Ba'ath Battalions, are a volunteer militia made up of Syrian Ba'ath Party members, almost entirely Sunni Muslims, loyal to the Syrian Government of Bashar al-Assad. It was set up in Aleppo under the command of Hilal Hilal, the current Assistant Regional Secretary, after rebels took most of the eastern half of Aleppo in summer 2012. Initially, the Ba'ath Brigades were used to guard government buildings and other key installations in the city, but their role has expanded as their strength has grown from 5,000 members in November 2012 to 7,000 in December 2013. Units have since also formed in Latakia and Tartus. At the end of 2013, the Brigades began deploying in Damascus, tasked with manning checkpoints and conducting "light logistical operations". They spearheaded the assault on the Old City of Aleppo in early 2014.

History

The Ba'ath Battalions participated in lifting the three-year siege at Kuweires military airbase alongside the elite Cheetah Forces, and National Defence Forces.

See also

• Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region
• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War