>>511031594Not all elite units of the Syrian Army were entirely Alawite, but many of the most powerful and loyal formations were heavily dominated by Alawites, especially in leadership roles.
The Republican Guard and the 4th Armored Division, both tasked with protecting the regime and suppressing dissent, were composed mostly of Alawite officers and soldiers. The 4th Division was led by Maher al-Assad, Bashar’s brother, reinforcing its personal loyalty to the regime. Similarly, Air Force Intelligence and Military Intelligence, though not army units per se, held immense power and were also Alawite-dominated.
The Tiger Forces (now the 25th Special Mission Forces Division), led by Alawite officer Suheil al-Hassan, were more mixed in composition but had strong Alawite leadership and were used in key offensives, often in coordination with Russian forces.
This sectarian skew was intentional. Hafez al-Assad, an Alawite and Bashar's father, built a security state where the most trusted military and intelligence roles were filled by Alawites. This ensured regime survival in a majority-Sunni country, where mass defections from Sunni conscripts in the regular army were common after 2011.
While many rank-and-file soldiers in regular units were Sunni, elite and loyalist units were designed to be dominated by Alawites to minimize the risk of defection and maintain control. Assad also relied on Hezbollah, Iranian-backed militias, and Russian support to bolster regime forces during the war.
In short: not all elite units were Alawite, but the regime’s survival depended on making sure the most important ones were.