17th Division (Syria)

The 17th Reserve Division is a formation of the Syrian Army responsible for Eastern Syria.

Structure
The Division is independent on the Syrian Army's Corps structure, and is composed of 137th Mechanized Brigade, the 93rd Armoured Brigade, another unknown Brigade, and an unknown Artillery Regiment.

The Division is one of the Syrian Army's 5 Specialised Divisions, which unlike the Army's conventional Divisions include both brigades and maneuver regiments.

Role in the civil war
The 17th Reserve Division was active in Deir ez-Zor province throughout 2012. The division's 93rd Brigade left Idlib to secure Al-Raqqah Governorate in early 2012.

In November 2012 the Free Syrian Army claimed that elements of the 17th Division were in Rastan, thereby raising the possibility that elements of the Division withdrew from the east as the Syrian Government lost positions there.

Following the reported capture of Raqqa on 3-6 March 2013, elements of the 17th Division remained under siege to the north of the city in October 2013.