Russia controls powerful Army's Third Division in Eastern Qalamoun

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Local activists from the eastern region of Qalamoun in Damascus countryside told Zaman al-Wasl that Russia has recently received the command of the 3rd Division, one of the Syrian regime’s most important military formations from the regime. The division is based in the city of al-Qatifah in the Eastern Qalamoun region, and there is unconfirmed information that the division’s name will be changed in the coming period to the 6th Corps. 

Saeed Saif, the official spokesman for the Martyr Ahmed al-Abdo forces, said in a statement to Zaman al-Wasl, that a Russian general was appointed alongside a large number of Russian soldiers in the 3rd Divisions headquarters and its operation rooms, and they established inspection committees for all brigades and battalions in the division.

He added that the Russians also formed a special committee tasked with inspecting and making amendments to all brigades and battalions subordinate to the division. Saif indicated that the Russians imposed new decisions that affect the military life of regime officers in the division.

Regarding the Russians’ recent decisions in the 3rd Division, Saif explained that the resolutions included the prevention of all forms of civil appearance, especially the use of televisions and civilian blankets within the military facilities subordinate to the division. The decisions also include a ban on the entry of any food not approved by the Division command, and setting working hours to 20 hours per day with 10 days of overnight stay. Any officer who violates these orders will be legally accountable, and the value of the violation increases to 10,000 Syrian Pounds for soldiers obliged with the work hours. 

According to Saif, the Russians began implementing these decisions in the 65th, 21st, and 20th brigades asserting that these decisions caused a wave of anger and resentment among the officers in the 3rd Division. He said that at the same time a quarrel occurred during an inspection round conducted by a Russian officer after he asked a regime officer to throw a television, and the regime officer refused.  

Saif pointed out that the Russians have extensive influence in most of the eastern Qalamoun region as Russian officers and experts are present at the military al-Dumayr airport. They also assigned to mediate in the reconciliation agreements between the regime and the Syrian resistance in the region. Saif noted that there was a close relationship among the Russians, the Military Intelligence Branch, Major General Ali Mamluk who is responsible for national security, and some intermediaries from the Qalamoun region which facilitated the Russians achieving what they wanted. 

On the other hand, the Jurd Tantasser Facebook page reported that the 6th Corps on behalf of the 3rd Division in al-Qatifah city, under the management of the Russian Army and the 4th Division under the auspices of the President of the regime Bashar al-Assad's.

In turn, the media activist Wissam Abdel Nour said that the Russian officers and experts were provided with housing in al-Qatifah as the regime recently moved several regime officers present in that area to the al-Rahiba officer residences. 

He added in his interview with Zaman al-Wasl that the 4th Division put a permanent military checkpoint at the entrance of al-Rahiba city from its western side knowing that there is a large regime checkpoint for soldiers from the 3rd Division close to the military residences in al-Rahiba.