Imam Hussein Division

A pro-Iranian militia that operated in Syria, established in 2016 by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Initially composed of hundreds of Shia fighters under the command of Lebanese commander Dhu al-Fiqar from Hezbollah, the division grew significantly under his leadership, reaching thousands of fighters from various nationalities, mainly Shia, from Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. They were recruited, trained, and prepared for religious warfare in exchange for monthly salaries of several hundred dollars. Fighters were equipped with advanced weapons and divided into two main groups: a mobile fighting force of about 5,000 fighters for fire battles on trucks, aimed at fighting Sunni jihadists and Assad regime rebels, and a smaller elite force of about 1,000 fighters operating strategic weaponry provided by Iran, such as drones, surface-to-surface missiles, and surface-to-air missiles. The Revolutionary Guard used this division to launch attacks on Israel and U.S. forces in the region from Syrian territory. In 2023, some of the division's fighters moved to Lebanon to assist Hezbollah in fighting Israel. In 2024, the division disbanded following the assassination of its commander by the IDF and the subsequent fall of the Assad regime in Syria.