Introduction
How is the Military in Syria and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the prior to the fall of the Syrian ASAD regime in December 2024, the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) consisted of the Syrian Arab Army (included the Republican Guard), Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces, Syrian Air Defense Forces, National Defense Forces (NDF), and Local Defense Forces (LDF); the NDF and LDF were pro-government militia and auxiliary forces, some of which were backed by Iran (2024).
Security and military information of Syria
| Military and security service personnel strengths | not available; prior to the start of the civil war in 2011, the SAF had approximately 300,000 total troops (2024) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | prior to the fall of the ASAD regime in December 2024, the SAF was inventory was comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era weapons and equipment (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | prior to the fall of the ASAD regime in December 2024, men 18-42 were obligated to perform military service; compulsory service obligation was up to 30 months; women were not conscripted but could volunteer to serve, including in combat arms (2024). note: the military was comprised largely of conscripts; men in their late 40s and 50s reportedly had been drafted into military service during the civil war |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2019 | 6.5% of GDP (2019 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2018 | 6.7% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2017 | 6.8% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2016 | 6.9% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2015 | 7.2% of GDP (2015 est.) |
Terrorism
In Syria, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: Abdallah Azzam Brigades; Ansar al-Islam; Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq; Hizballah; Hurras al-Din; Islamic Jihad Union; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK); Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem; al-Nusrah Front (Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham); al-Qa'ida; Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command
All Important Facts about Syria
Want to know more about Syria? Check all different factbooks for Syria below.
