The Syrian Armed Forces Seven Years into the Conflict: From a Regular Army to Volunteer Corps

... groups have been given the collective name “Shabiha,” which has some 40,000 soldiers in its ranks – although this number is likely to have grown since the group’s inception. Syria Research Group, CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Pro-government armed groups in Syria Shabiha saved the army’s dwindling numbers and in certain cases proved to be far more effective and resilient in battles within cities and in the defence of village settlements than the SAA. Contrary to popular belief, not all Shabiha groups are Alawites ...