The Struggle Companies (Arabic: سرايا الصراع; Saraya al-Sira) was a 5,000-strong commando force deployed around the Syrian capital Damascus.

It was created in 1973 and commanded by Maj. Gen Adnan Assad, a cousin of the late Syrian president, Hafez al-Assad.

[1][2] The all Alawite Struggle Companies are broadly similar to the Defense Companies and were fanatically loyal to the Syrian government and were heavily used during the 1982 Hama Massacre[3][2] The Syrian president exercised direct control over the Saraya al-Sira', Saraya al-Difa', and the Republican Guard all of whom function as a Praetorian Guard.

[4][5] The headquarters of the Saraya al-Sira' was Mezzeh Military Airport.

The Saraya al-Sira' wore combat uniforms quite distinct from the regular Syrian military, their uniform consisted of lizard-patterned camouflage fatigues worn with Soviet combat boots, helmets and bulletproof vests.