Shafiq al-Fayadh (1937 – 8 October 2015) () was a Syrian military officer and former commander of the Syrian Army's 3rd Division and a close adviser to President

Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (6 October 193010 June 2000) was a Syrian politician and military officer who was the president of Syria from 1971 until Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad, his death in 2000. He was previously the Prime Minister of Syria ...

. He was also one of the members of his inner circle.

Early life

Fayadh was born in the village of Ayn al-Arus, near

Jableh Jableh (; ', also spelt ''Jebleh'', ''Jabala'', ''Jablah, Gabala'' or ''Gibellum'') is a Mediterranean coastal city in Syria, north of Baniyas and south of Latakia, with c. 80,000 inhabitants (2004 census). As Ancient ''Gabala'', it was a By ...

, to an

Alawite Alawites () are an Arabs, Arab ethnoreligious group who live primarily in the Levant region in West Asia and follow Alawism, a sect of Islam that splintered from early Shia as a ''ghulat'' branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate A ...

family of the prominent Kalbiyya clan. Other members of the clan include Fayadh's cousin and former Syrian president

.Biography for Shafiq Fayyad - silobreaker
His son ‘Ala is married to Lamia, the daughter of

Rifaat al-Assad Rifaat Ali al-Assad (; born 22 August 1937) is a Syrian former military officer and politician. He is the younger brother of the late President of Syria, Hafez al-Assad, and Jamil al-Assad, and the uncle of the former President Bashar al-Assad. ...

. Another of his sons married into a Christian family, whilst another married into a Shiite family.

Career

The 3rd Division under Fayadh played an extremely important role for the government of

. The unit, under Fayadh, was one of the first to go into Lebanon in 1976. Fayadh played an important role during the Islamic uprising in Syria, occupying Aleppo with the 3rd Division in 1980, and taking part in the Hama massacre. The Division was deployed near Damascus, in order to protect the government against potential coups. Fayadh was retired in June 2005 as part of a restructuring program of the Syrian Army, five years after

Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...

had succeeded his father

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Death

Fayadh died on 8 October 2015, suffering from illness.

References

1937 births 2015 deaths Assad family People of the Islamic uprising in Syria Syrian generals Syrian Alawites Syrian mass murderers People from Latakia Governorate 1982 Hama massacre perpetrators {{Syria-mil-bio-stub