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Redwan Force

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al-Hajj Radwan Force
فوج الحاج رضوان
Active2008–present
Country Lebanon
 Syria
Allegiance Hezbollah
TypeSpecial operations forces
RoleMilitary-security unit, direct action, raiding, ambush, sniping, reconnaissance
SizeC. 2,500 (est. 2022)
Part ofHezbollah armed strength
Nickname(s)Unit 125
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander		Ali Reda Abbas
Notable
commanders		Ibrahim Aqil  †
Ahmed Wehbe †
Abu ‘Ali Al- Tabataba’i
Hamza Ibrahim Haidar

The al-Hajj Radwan Force (Arabic: فوج الحاج رضوان, romanized: Fawj al-Ḥajj Raḍwān, lit. 'al-Hajj Radwan Regiment', also spelled Redwan or Ridwan) is a special operation forces unit of Hezbollah. Its main mission is to infiltrate the territory of Israel, with specific attention to Galilee and northern Israel.

Hezbollah has trained special forces fighters since the 1990s, which are today part of the Radwan Force. Originally known as the "Rapid Intervention Force" or the "Intervention Unit", the unit was renamed in 2008 to honor Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, a senior Hezbollah leader also known as "Hajj Radwan." The Radwan Forces have particular experience in raids and small unit tactics.

Despite UN Resolution 1701, which demands that Hezbollah withdraw its forces north of the Litani River,[1] the Radwan Force remains deployed along the Blue Line—the border monitored by United Nations peacekeepers—conducting surveillance and gathering intelligence on northern Israel.[2] The unit has been active in various conflicts, including the Syrian civil war and the ongoing skirmishes along the Lebanon–Israel border. The unit has been involved in the fighting since October 7, 2023, and is expected to lead any future Hezbollah incursions into Israel.

Mission

The Radwan Force is a special operations unit in Hezbollah’s armed forces, tasked with launching offensive attacks into Israeli territory and capturing civilian communities in the Galilee.[3] Israeli officials expect the Radwan Force to lead any future Hezbollah infiltration into Israel, similar to the October 7 attacks by Hamas.[4] In addition, the Radwan Force conducts reconnaissance and intelligence operations against Israeli targets using UAVs.[5][2] The unit's sophistication and advanced weaponry explain how Hezbollah's has increasingly been viewed as a hybrid actor, especially sophisticated for a non-state actor, since the 2006 Lebanon War.[2][6] and according to Hezbollah, perform "ambushes, assassinations, or operations that require deep infiltration."[7]

History

The Radwan Force was founded in 2006 as the Intervention Unit, a special offensive force to assist Hezbollah’s territorial units, and established with the assistance of the IRGC Quds Force.[3] Under the command of senior Hezbollah militant leader Imad Mughniyeh, the unit was responsible for the 2006 Hezbollah cross-border raid that led to the outbreak of the 2006 Lebanon War.[4][2] After Mughniyeh's killing, the unit was renamed for his operational alias Hajj Radwan (الحاج رضوان) in April 2008.[4][3][8]

The existence of the Radwan Force was revealed during Ashura ceremonies in 2014 in the Dahiya neighborhood of Beirut, when militants of a distinct unit were photographed while providing security. At this time, the Radwan Force was allegedly commanded by a man named Muhammad Ali Hamadi.[3][9]

As of 2023, the unit's commander was Haytham Ali Tabataba’i, who the United States added to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) in 2016.[2] After the death of Ibrahim Aqil in September 2024, Ali Reda Abbas was appointed head of the unit.[10]

Involvement in the Syrian civil war

The Radwan Unit gained prominence as an elite reputation in its involvement in brutal fighting in Lebanon and Syria as part of Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian civil war to support the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[2] According to analysts, Hezbollah in general, and the Radwan Force in particular, gained significant battlefield experience and combat arms coordination.[11] According to Israeli researcher Dima Adamsky, the cooperation with advanced regular armed forces in Syria enabled the Radwan Force to transition from advanced infantry to a commando force, capable to achieve significant operational and strategic effects in a war against Israel.[12]

Early in the war, the unit was stationed in Aleppo area and contributed to battles of al-Qusayr and of al-Qalamoun, being decisive for the Syrian government's victories. Troops were later garrisoned in northern Syria and Saraqib in Idlib Governorate, operating with Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Liwa Fatemiyoun[3] and suffering significant casualties against regular Turkish Armed Forces.[13]

The Radwan Force area of operations also includes the Quneitra Governorate and Daraa, integrated with the Syrian Arab Army and Shiite militias. In the South, the Radwan Force cooperates with the 4th Armoured Division,[3] and with the Russian Naval Infantry Unit 810.[14]

In May 2017, Radwan Unit was allegedly withdrawn from Syria and redeployed on in southern Lebanon.[15]

In February 2020, Radwan Unit was targeted by the Turkish Air Force as part of Operation Spring Shield, suffering over two dozen of casualties.[16]

In the spring of 2023, the unit took part in rare public military exercises by Hezbollah, displaying its arsenal and simulating an infiltration into Israeli territory.[4]

2023 Israel–Hamas war

After the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, Hezbollah transferred medical teams and Radwan Force militants to the Syria-Israel border.[17] The Radwan Force led Hezbollah's participation in the Israel-Hezbollah cross-border attacks during the war and took the lead for Hezbollah's operations in the broader, longstanding Hezbollah–Israel conflict. After the October 7 attacks, Israeli security officials cited the Radwan Unit as a force it could no longer accept on the Israel-Lebanon border. According to IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari, the focus of Israel's actions in southern Lebanon was to force the Radwan Unit away from the border, either via a diplomatic solution that moved the force north of the Litani River or a major Israeli military offensive.[4]

On 8 January 2024, in the village of Majdel Selm, an Israeli airstrike killed Wissam al-Tawil, a deputy head within the force with another Hezbollah fighter, the first death of a commander announced by Hezbollah since the October 7 attacks. As of February 2024, about 50 Radwan fighters had been killed in the previous 4 months, including Abbas Raad, the son of Lebanese Parliament member Mohammed Raad.[2][18]

On 20 September 2024, an Israeli air strike in Dahieh in southern Beirut killed commander Ibrahim Aqil, senior Radwan official Ahmed Wehbe, and 15 other Radwan Force commanders, who were at a meeting of Radwan Force leaders.[19][20]

Organisation

According to Tal Beeri, the Radwan Force consists of around 2,500 troops,[3][8] with most of them having fought in Syria by 2024. The unit has an independent chain of command and order of battle.[2] Under the Radwan Force command, several small, squad-level subunits (Arabic: شُعبة, romanized: Shu’aba, lit. 'Section') operate autonomously. Each sub-unit amounts to 7-10 militants based in Shiite villages in Lebanon. These villages function as logisitical reference points for squads. Squads are garrisoned in the vicinity of villages, with ammunition and self-sustainment supplies stored for emergencies.[5] While being garrisoned near amicable villages, militants are kept separated from civilian population.[8]

This organisation allows squad commanders to operate with significant tactical autonomy, without being dependent on external (and insecure) logistical assistance.[3]

Additionally, the unit consists of combat engineers who, apart from military training, are also trained in cyber and information gathering fields.[5]

According to Einav Halabi, three psychological care facilities operate in southern Lebanon in order to assist Radwan Force members.[8]

According to American-Israeli news enterprise All Israel News, the commander up to 23 November 2023 was Khalil Shahimi.[21]

Selection and training

Militants are admitted into the Radwan Force after a careful vetting process. Training begins only after the screening procedure.[3]

Training includes sniper training, anti-tank warfare, hand-to-hand combat, explosives training, tactical driving, as well as training for special forces. This latter variety of training includes a “captivity workshop”, in order to teach the trainee to behave in case of capture, and operation of intelligence-gathering UAVs.[3]

The Radwan Force’s training also emphasizes physical fitness, long-distance running, mountain navigation, and tactical warfare. The unit’s operatives receive training directly from the IRGC-GF Saberin Unit.[3]

Insignia

The al-Hajj Radwan Force insignia consists of a roaring lion holding the Zulfiqar sword.[22]

Equipment

An armed militant of the Radwan Force. The militant is dressed in black tactical clothes and wears a black balaclava as well as dark goggles.
A militant of the Redwan Force in May 2023

According to Tal Beeri, the Radwan Force has access to all weapons in Hezbollah's arsenal which may be relevant for its operations, including every weapon pertaining to infantry and commando warfare available on the arms market. Combat accessories, including of Western and Russian origin,[9] are also used.[3]

The Radwan Force employs small, highly mobile units on motorcycles, quad bikes, and light all-terrain vehicles equipped with Russian-made Kornet ATGMs.[23]

Uniforms

On the occasion of their exposure in 2014, militants of the Radwan Force wore black uniforms, helmets, balaclavas, and dark goggles concealing their features and were armed with assault rifles typical of commando units.[3]

According to the Israel Defense Forces-linked Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, a 2023 video shows a Radwan Force member in a red beret and with an al-Radwan badge on his sleeve.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ "France reportedly drops call for Hezbollah to pull back behind Litani in new proposal to end fighting in north". The Times of Israel. 2024-04-29. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Dabouch, Sarah (2024-02-15). "What is the Radwan Force, Hezbollah's elite unit on the Israeli border?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Beeri, Tal (5 January 2023). "The Radwan Unit ("Radwan Force" - Unit 125)". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ward, Euan (2024-01-08). "Here's What to Know About Hezbollah's Radwan Force". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-01-09. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Why Are Israeli Military Commanders Afraid of Hezbollah's Elite Radwan Unit?". Alwaght. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  6. ^ Pollak, Nadav (August 2016). "Research Notes No 35: The Transformation of Hezbollah by Its Involvement in Syria" (PDF). The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-08-27. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  7. ^ Gabrielsen, Iver (2014) "The evolution of Hezbollah's strategy and military performance, 1982–2006," Small Wars & Insurgencies, 25:2, 257–283, DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2014.903636M
  8. ^ a b c d Halabi, Einav (9 June 2023). "Hezbollah's commando force emboldens Nasrallah to take on Israel". Ynetnews. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b Abou Assi, Jamil (7 November 2014). "Les forces spéciales du Hezbollah - Centre Français de Recherche sur le Renseignement". cf2r.org (in French). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Hezbollah's Radwan Force chooses its new lead commander - report". Jerusalem Post. 2024-09-22. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  11. ^ Quitaz, Suzan (20 April 2023). "The Rise of Radwan Unit – Hezbollah's New Firepower". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  12. ^ Opall-Rome, Barbara (7 November 2016). "Russian Influence on Hezbollah Raises Red Flag in Israel". Defense News. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  13. ^ Ahronheim, Anna (21 May 2020). "Israel learned from Hezbollah's defeat at the hands of Turkey". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  14. ^ Wahab, Hadi (January 2019). Hezbollah: A Regional Armed-Non State Actor (PDF). p. 290. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Organizational Chart". hezbollah.org. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  16. ^ Ahronheim, Anna (21 May 2020). "Israel learned from Hezbollah's defeat at the hands of Turkey". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  17. ^ Carter, Brian; Jhaveri, Ashka; Tyson, Kathryn; Moore, Johanna; Soltani, Amin; Harward, Christina; Carl, Nicholas (2 November 2023). "Iran Update, November 2, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  18. ^ Gebeily, Maya (8 January 2024). "Israeli strike on Lebanon kills senior commander in elite Hezbollah unit". Reuters. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  19. ^ Death toll from Israeli strike on Beirut rises to 37, Lebanon's health ministry says, BBCNews, 21 Sept 2024
  20. ^ "IDF confirms assassination of Ibrahim Aqil, names 15 Hezbollah commanders killed in strike". Jerusalem Post. 2024-09-21. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  21. ^ "As northern front heats up, Israel strikes Hezbollah's Radwan Force HQ, killing son of Hezbollah parliament member". All Israel News. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (June 2-15, 2023)" (PDF). www.terrorism-info.org.il. The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 18 June 2023. p. 6. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Hezbollah's entry into the current conflict: a contrasting threat to that of Hamas". Prevail Partners. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
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