Syrian Army

Uncommon card · No. 114790

The Syrian Arab Army is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It originated in local military forces formed by the French after World War I, after France obtained a mandate over the region. It was officially formed in 1945, before Syria obtained full independence in 1946. After 1946, it played a major role in Syria's governance, mounting six military coups: two in 1949, including the March 1949 Syrian coup d'état and the August 1949 coup by Colonel Sami al-Hinnawi, and one each in 1951, 1954, 1963, 1966, and 1970. It fought four wars with Israel (1948, the Six-Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and 1982 Lebanon War) and one with Jordan ("Black September" in Jordan, 1970). An armored division was also deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990–91 during the Gulf War, but saw little action. From 1976 to 2005 it was the major pillar of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Internally, it played a major part in suppressing the 1979–82 Islamist uprising in Syria, and from 2011 to 2024...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Original: Syrian Arab Republic via Ministry of Defense Vector: Freedoxm, Public domain