| Country: | Syria |
| Details of Formation: | The Lebanese Hezbollah had been allied with the Assad regime over the past decades, especially since 2005. The group became a Syrian PGM when it began fighting alongside the Syrian forces in the Syrian Civil War in 2011. At first, the Lebanese Hezbollah denied involvement in Syria, despite ample evidence pointing to its activities there. Only in April 2013 did Hezbollah officially announce its participation in the Syrian Civil War. |
| Details of Termination: | The Lebanese Hezbollah was still a PGM as of 2015 (Amnesty International). |
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the Lebanese Hezbollah in Syria is to support the Syrian government in the Syrian civil war. This implied assisting Syrian forces against political opposition, training the Syrian military and fighting against insurgents. |
| Organisation: | Hezbollah has historically strong ties to the Assad regime, which supported it in various ways prior to the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah’s assistance to Assad during the war is considered a repayment of its debt to Assad. The Lebanese Hezbollah depends on Assad for the shipments of weapons originating in Iran. The group is considered a key ally of Assad’s regime. The Lebanese Hezbollah is coordinating its support to the government with the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and senior Syrian government officials. Its leader is Hassan Nasrallah. |
| Weapons and Training: | In years prior to the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah had received training by Assad’s military and could operate training camps on Syrian soil. It also received training by Iran. Since its involvement in the Syrian war, Hezbollah has directly trained personnel of the Syrian government and has facilitated the training of Syrian forces by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. |
| Size: | According to an estimate dated 2014, the Lebanese Hezbollah in Syria had approximately 7,000 to 10,000 fighters. |
| Reason for Membership: | Some members are Shiite Lebanese living in villages located in Syria close to the Lebanese border. These members joined Hezbollah to defend themselves against other armed groups. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The Lebanese Hezbollah has participated in Syrian military actions against civilian anti-government protest. |
| Other Information: | Hezbollah was re-listed as 'foreign terrorist organization' by U.S. Treasury Department for its support of the Assad regime in October 2012. |
| References: |
Amnesty International. 2016. “Madaya shocked the world but this story isn't over.“ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/01/madaya-shocked-the-world-but-this-story-isnt-over/ The New York Times. 2013. “Hezbollah Aids Syrian Military in a Key Battle.” May 19. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/world/middleeast/syrian-army-moves-to-rebel-held-qusayr.html?pagewanted=all Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD |