Active 2013–present Branch Syrian Army Role Offensive operations | Allegiance Syrian Arab Republic Type Light infantry Size Division | |
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Tiger Forces or Qawat Al-Nimr (Arabic: قوات النمر) is a special forces unit of the Syrian Arab Army which functions primarily as an offensive unit in the Syrian Civil War. It has been described as a "hot commodity for any government offensive", but their relatively small numbers make it difficult to deploy them to multiple fronts at once.
After successful operations in Latakia and Hama, Colonel Suheil al-Hassan was tasked a special project by the Syrian Armed Forces Central Command in the fall of 2013—to train and lead a Special Forces unit that would work primarily as an offensive unit. Colonel Hassan handpicked many of the soldiers that would later form the Tiger Forces. On 25 December 2015, Suheil al-Hassan was promoted to major general after refusing to be brigadier general last year. He played a key role in commanding Syrian troops during 2016 Aleppo campaign. Tiger Forces were tasked two times to cut the key supply lines to rebel-held Aleppo.
The division is one of few in the Syrian Army to deploy T-90 tanks, another being the 4th Mechanized Division.
Brigades
The Tiger Forces have multiple special operations brigades:
Cheetah Forces or Qawat al-Fahoud (قوات الفهود) — The current commander is Colonel Shadi Isma’el and the deputy commander is Colonel Lu’ayy Sleitan. Subunits of the Cheetah Forces include Team 3 and Team 6. Team 6 were the first soldiers that ended the 35-month long Siege of Kuweires Military Airbase, while Team 3 along with Suqur al-Sahara completed the East Aleppo ISIS encirclement.
Panther Forces — The current commander is Colonel Ali Shaheen. They were involved in the Palmyra offensive (March 2016), where they were redeployed to another front after it was over.
