16th Division (Syrian rebel group)
| 16th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
|
الفرقة 16 مشاة Participant in the Syrian Civil War | |
| Active | 2013—25 July 2016 |
| Ideology | Islamic democracy |
| Leaders | Khaled Hayani † (2013-15)[1][2] |
| Headquarters | Aleppo, Syria |
| Area of operations | Aleppo Governorate, Syria |
| Strength | +1,600 (own claim in 2014)[1] |
| Part of | |
| Allies | |
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | |
The 16th Infantry Division (Arabic: الفرقة 16 مشاة) is a Syrian rebel group active mainly in the city Aleppo and its surroundings.
History
One of its notable subgroups, the Badr Martyrs' Brigade, is infamous for robbery, kidnapping, extortion, and most notably mass looting of factories in Aleppo districts and shipping truckloads of looted items to Turkey until many of its territory were overran and one of its leaders captured and executed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in late 2013.[4]
In early 2015 the al-Nusra Front captured 11 of its fighters in Aleppo during its conflict with the Hazzm Movement.[5]
In 2016 the group took part in the indiscriminating shelling of Sheikh Maqsoud, killing dozens of civilians and sparked a retaliation from the People's Protection Units, which killed several of its members.[6]
During the northern Aleppo offensive (June-July 2016), the 16th Division suffered heavy casulties, including 29 killed, more than 54 wounded, and 7 missing, its headquarter overran, and the commanders resigned, most likely fled to Turkey. Subsequently, the group went defunct.[7][8]
War crimes
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the 16th Division's Badr Martyrs Brigade, led by Khaled Hayani, is responsible for the deaths of more than 203 civilians, including 42 children, at least 25 women, and 136 men, with more than 900 wounded, 175 of them seriously, in the city of Aleppo between July and December 2014 with hell cannons and other mortars, in addition to improvised explosive devices.[9]
References
- 1 2 "Exclusive interview: FREE SYRIAN ARMY COMMANDER Abdulkhalek Hayani" (PDF). RFS Media Office. October 2014.
- ↑ "FSA mourns senior commander killed in Aleppo". Zamanalwsl. 2 May 2015.
- ↑ Syria’s moderate opposition? The Week
- ↑ "Islamic militia expels criminal gangs from Aleppo". Al-Monitor. 11 November 2013.
- ↑ "Syria battle between al Qaeda and Western-backed group spreads". Reuters. 30 January 2015.
- ↑ "YPG: 36 gang members killed in Sheikh Maqsoud". ANF English. 6 April 2016.
- ↑ "16th Division spokesman: causes for our withdrawal from Aleppo". Baladi News. 30 July 2016.
- ↑ "Rebel group on the verge of total collapse in Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. 25 July 2016.
- ↑ "Khaled Hyani shells killed and wounded no less than 900 civilians in 162 days". SOHR. 12 December 2014.
