Redwan Force

The al-Hajj Radwan Force (فوج الحاج رضوان, 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 and according to Hezbollah, perform "ambushes, assassinations, or operations that require deep infiltration."

Despite UN Resolution 1701, which demands that Hezbollah withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, the Radwan Force remains deployed along the Blue Line—the border monitored by United Nations peacekeepers—conducting surveillance and gathering intelligence on northern Israel. 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.

Name
Before April 2008, the Hezbollah special unit was known as the “Rapid Intervention Force” or the “Intervention Unit”. After the targeted killing of senior Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh, the unit was renamed after his operational alias, Hajj Radwan (الحاج رضوان).

Mission
The Radwan Force is Hezbollah’s special unit, primarily tasked with infiltrating Israeli territory and capturing civilian communities in the Galilee region. In addition, the Radwan Force conducts reconnaissance and intelligence operations against Israeli targets using UAVs.

History
The predecessor of the Radwan Force was known as the “Intervention Unit”. It was a veteran organic unit that was part of combat apparatus of Hezbollah. It functioned as a special offensive force tasked to assist Hezbollah’s territorial units. The “Intervention Unit” was commanded by Haytham Ali Tabataba’i.

The unit was responsible for the capture of the Israeli soldiers in July 2006 that led to the outbreak of the 2006 Lebanon War. The preparations for the capture and the operation itself were carried out under then-commander’s direct command.

The Radwan Force, which was established with the assistance of the IRGC Quds Force, was integrated into the existing “Intervention Unit”.

Exposure
The Radwan Force was revealed in the Ashura ceremonies in 2014 in the Dahiya neighborhood of Beirut. On this occasion, militants of a distinct unit were photographed while providing security to the ceremonies.

At this time, the Radwan Force was allegedly commanded by a man named Muhammad Ali Hamadi.

Involvement in the Syrian civil war
The Radwan Force has been involved into the Syrian civil war since 2015-2016 as a support to Syrian government and was stationed in Aleppo area.

Radwan Force also contributed to battles of al-Qusayr and of al-Qalamoun, being decisive for government's victory on these occasions.

According to Tal Beeri, after the end of the main phases of the Syrian civil war, troops of the Radwan Force are garrisoned in northern Syria, as well as in Saraqib in Idlib Governorate. In this area, the Radwan Force operates in close coordination with Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Liwa Fatemiyoun, but suffered significant casualties against regular Turkish Armed Forces.

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, and with the Russian Naval Infantry Unit 810.

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

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

According to several sources, the civil war in Syria 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.

2023 Israel–Hamas war
Since the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Hezbollah has transferred medical teams and significant forces of the Radwan Force on the Syrian-Israeli border.

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.

Organisation
According to Tal Beeri, the Radwan Force consists of around 2,500 troops. Under the Radwan Force command, several small, squad-level subunits (شُعبة, 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. While being garrisoned near amicable villages, militants are kept separated from civilian population.

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

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

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

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

Selection and training
Militants are admitted into the Radwan Force after a careful vetting process. Training begins only after the screening procedure.

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.

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.

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

Equipment
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, are also used.

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

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.

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 having an al-Radwan badge on his sleeve.