Redwan Force
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.
| al-Hajj Radwan Force | |
|---|---|
| فوج الحاج رضوان | |
| Active | 2008–present |
| Country | Lebanon Syria |
| Allegiance | Hezbollah |
| Type | Special operations forces |
| Role | Military-security unit, direct action, raiding, ambush, sniping, reconnaissance |
| Size | 2,500 ca. (est. 2022) |
| Part of | Hezbollah armed strength |
| Nickname(s) | Unit 125 |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Khalil Shahimi |
| Notable commanders | Abu ‘Ali Al- Tabataba’i, Hamza Ibrahim Haidar |
Hezbollah has trained special forces fighters since the 1990s, which are today part of the Radwan Unit. They have particular experience in raids and small unit tactics and according to Hezbollah perform "ambushes, assassinations, or operations that require deep infiltration."
The unit, established in 2008, serves as organisational and operational basis for specialist units of Hezbollah. According to several sources, the involvement into the Syrian civil war granted Hezbollah in general, and the Radwan Force in particular, significant battlefield experience and combat arms coordination at a larger scale. 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 commando force, capable to achieve significant operational and strategic effects in a war against Israel.