Republican Guard (Syria)

The Syrian Republican Guard (SRG), also known as the Presidential Guard, is the security unit in the Syrian Army. Prior to the fall of the Assad regime, it reportedly consisted of 60,000 guardsmen. It was composed of two mechanized divisions with its main purpose to protect the capital of Syria, Damascus, from any foreign or domestic threats. The Republican Guard was also the only Syrian military unit allowed within the capital, prior to the civil war. It was designed to defend the President as well as the major presidential and strategic institutions, including the presidential palaces.