The Hamza Division

The Hamza Division is an armed militia created in 2016 and operating in Syria. Throughout the Syrian civil war, the Hamza Division has been responsible for numerous acts of torture in its detention centres, for extortion and for forced displacement of civilians, especially in the region of Afrin and Aleppo. In March 2025, the Hamza Division, under Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr’s command, took part in the violence in the coastal region of Syria, targeting civilians and especially the Alawite community, including by committing arbitrary killings of civilians. The Hamza division is therefore responsible for serious human rights abuses in Syria, including torture and arbitrary killings.