Syrian government forces said they had withdrawn from Hama on Thursday, a strategic city with supply lines to loyalist coastal strongholds. In any attempt to retake the city, one army unit could be critical for the decisive battle: the Tiger Forces, whose members mostly hail from the governorate of the same name.
The unit, often called an elite military formation, is in fact mainly composed of local militias with a core of at least 4,000 fighters linked to the feared Syrian air force intelligence, formerly headed by Jamil Al Hasan, according to researcher Gregory Waters.
Al Hasan is wanted by France and Germany over the alleged murder of civilians, including dual-citizens, in Syria’s civil war, and has been sanctioned by the US and EU.
"The tiger forces are supposed to be elite forces. But really, to Syrians, they're just known as brutal and quite cruel forces," says Natasha Hall, an expert on Syria and Senior Fellow at Center for Strategic and International Studies.
During the worst periods of fighting, the unit – designated the 25th Special Missions Division in 2019 – was used as a “fire brigade” outfit, moving rapidly from crisis to crisis as the government was assailed by a number of localised uprisings.
Those occurred first under the banner of the Free Syrian Army in the summer of 2011 and then a mix of competing and increasingly extreme groups, edging out secular opposition, later including ISIS and Jabhat Al Nusra. The latter group, formerly linked to Al Qaeda, is designated a terror organisation by the EU and US, but has attempted to agressively rebrand as a moderate force.
The uprising was sparked by government crackdowns that included the Tiger Forces, which according to the Global Public Policy Institute, a think tank, were “credited with pioneering the use of barrel bombs in the early years of the war”, improvised explosive devices rolled out of helicopters to devastate districts in towns such as Deraa.
According to Mr Waters, who has closely tracked the evolution of the force, its members are recruited mostly from Hama, and while most are from Syria’s Alawite minority, the kin of President Bashar Al Assad, it has small numbers of Christian, Ismaili Shiites and Sunni recruits.
But it is far from representative of the population, Ms Hall says. She explains that the unit has joined the ranks of much of the Syrian army, which has collapsed into countless militias, with groups such as the Shabiha, now the National Defence Forces, often paid by looting or other criminal activities.
"The Syrian Arab Army has been hollowed out since I would say 2012, there is mandatory conscription. So most men, aside from those who are only children, have been in the military in some capacity in their life, but there were mass defections early on."
"So it took some time for the Syrian military, the regime, to recuperate. What they did, as other regimes have done in the past, like Sudan with Janjaweed, is essentially rounded up militias and thugs to create new forces."
Oded Berkowitz, an expert on militia tactics in Middle East conflict, says the rapid withdrawal by government forces in Hama is an attempt to concentrate defences.
"Being able to consolidate a defensive line with depth and reserves that are now closer will negate one of the rebels’ primary advantages in manoeuvre, which was surprise. The initial surprise of the rapid advance is now gone," he said.
He does not rule out a complete collapse of the Syrian army in Hama, however, and says the next critical battle could be around Homs, which he envisages as a possible Aleppo-style siege.
The local base of support for the Tiger Forces, combined with what analysts say is a close working relationship with Russian advisers, means its performance in the battle of Hama is a litmus test of how Damascus will weather the latest uprising. According to security researcher Nicole Grajewski, the unit has also been given T-90 tanks, Russia’s premier export armoured vehicle.
So far, things are not looking positive for the formation, having lost its headquarters in Aleppo in the Hayat Tahir Al Sham-led offensive last week, and now losing the city of Hama. The unit does not appear to have fought significant battles in Aleppo, where the 30th Division crumbled quickly.
Along with the Tiger Forces, another unit that has worked closely with Russia is the Fifth Corps, a formation put together at the height of the civil war in 2016, with many “reconciled” former rebels from Deraa governorate. It has taken part in offensives before in Idlib, but in the latest round of fighting appears to have abandoned a large number of tanks, according to open-source analysis by Oryx, a team of researchers tracking losses in conflict, which responded to a question from The National.
The Third Corps, which fought in Lebanon against Israel in the 1980s and had its 47th Armoured Brigade bombed by Israeli jets last month, is also partially garrisoned in Hama. All of these units possess various Soviet-era tanks, scores of which have been seen abandoned in videos on social media on roads between Aleppo and Hama, according to Oryx.
Finally, the Fourth Division, a unit accused by the US of links to drug-smuggling and militias has also been thrown into the fray. But these units cannot be thought of in the conventional military sense, where a division has a standardised number of platoons, companies, battalions and regiments, a pyramid structure that goes up to the roughly 10,000-20,000 soldier division.
"This is not like an army in the traditional military sense, at one point they probably were," says Ms Hall, before the gradual collapse of Syria's military and economic power, which led to widespread disorganisation in the army.
HAJJAN
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Results
2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)
3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar
5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Race card
1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m
3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
