The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Military column of the Iranian forces carries weapons, equipment, and members arrives to sites in the northern countryside of Hama and strengthens its spread in the area

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a military convoy of Iranian forces arrived within the last 24 hours to the points of the Iranians in the southern countryside of Hama, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: more than 15 vehicles carrying Iranian fighters and logistical equipment arrived yesterday, Friday, to sites belongs to the Iranians in the northern country of Hama, where it reached their sites in Rahbat Khattab south of Halfaya, south of Zallaqiyyat, and the vicinity of Marzaf town all located north of Hama, where these points and sites were reinforced, it worth mention that the Iranian forces -in addition to the aforementioned points- are spreading in al-Sheikh Dabban, Deir Shamil, and Regiment 45 located in Masyaf area, also the Iranians had a major role in supporting the regime forces and attacking the countryside of Hama, probably the most notable of which were the clashes to control al-Masasneh, Halfaya, Sen Sahar, Tayyibat al-Imam, Maardes, and Soran.

The Iranian Forces haven’t had enough by their presence in the Syrian territory, but they seek to increase their forces to empower themselves and expand their base, by trying to have the upper hand within the Syrian inside, walking the steps that the “Islamic State” Organization used to take previously when it fell under the international pressure, and was forced to resort to Syrian inside, through involving civilians by exploiting their misery, poor, and living conditions, they even exploited the disability of the people and brainwashed them to make them join the Organization’s ranks. And similar to this method and strategy; the Iranians move inside the Syrian territory, through the intellectual and sectarian side, and building a new belief inside the hearts of new entrants, who are the main dependence for the organization within Syrian territory, where reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory west of Euphrates River, that the number of people who joined the Iranian forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian, Afghani, Iraqi, and Lebanese Shiite militias are on the rise, and reached hundreds of volunteers as a result of the deliberate recruitment of the Syrian citizens by the Iranian forces, by focusing on the thing they miss and their needs, reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that this militias of the Iranian forces are activating the protection of their members and providing them attractive salaries and let them choose the place of their military service, where the area west of Euphrates River along the western bank of the River in the rastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and Tehran – Beirut road which passes through this countryside; the spread of Iranian Forces and settlement operations in the homes of displaced people, and they converted mosques to Shiite mosques and prevent those who are not of them from entering them, along with the continuous deployment in the Syrian south within the Syrian provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, which have been controlled by the regime forces recently through military operation and “reconciliation and settlement”.

The process of enlisting has begun with a noticeable presence of the inhabitants of Deir Ezzor countryside and the number of people who want to be enlisted reached hundreds people, where this enlisting includes both former defected members of the regime forces and those wishing to “settle their situation,” as well as former fighters in ranks of regime’s opponents, and other citizens the sources said that most of them were from al-Quriyah area in the countryside of al-Mayadin city, and the sources told the Syrian Observatory that the process of luring the citizens to come was through a monthly salary of $150 USD, and letting them choosing the place of service between going to the battlefronts or stay at the training center west of Euphrates River, in addition to the immunity from the regime forces and from being arrested.

The Syrian Observatory monitored the Iranians positioning at key points in al-Mayadin area to the west of al-Bokamal, where their positioning is represented by an Afghani charitable kitchen, in which the Iranian-backed Afghani militias prepare and distribute meals to the people and the displaced people, also the Secondary Sharia School of al-Mayadin city was transformed into an affiliation center for the Iranian and Shiite militias, which sometimes includes Shiite-related symposia and conferences, also the Iranian forces and Asian gunmen of the Shiite citizens are positioned in Hawi area at al-Mayadin city, also reliable sources confirmed that the Iranians set up a Husseinieh and Mazar in the Nabe’ Ayn Ali, which is located between al-Mayadin and Mahkan, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the arrival of buses carrying Iranians from the “Shiite visitors” of the Iranians, Syrians, and Iraqis, where carried out Shiite sectarian rituals in the area which is witnessing a large military presence of the Iranian Forces, also the Iranian Forces are deployed in the area between the sheep market and al-Rahba castle in al-Mayadin, where there are military forces prevent the entry and exit of anyone of the non-Iranians of both civilians and militaries, amid heavy guard and permanent flight of drones over the area.

The Syrian Observatory also monitored the presence of Iranian forces in the countryside of Salamiyah city at the eastern countryside of Hama, in training centers and affiliation centers in al-Sabbura and other areas of the countryside of Hama, with an earlier presence in the 47th Brigade in Hama countryside, and in the northern and northwestern countryside of Aleppo and in the contact lines with the factions in the southern countryside of Aleppo, the Syrian Desert, and other areas of Syria in the countryside of Homs, Hama, and Rif Dimashq.

The Syrian Observatory has learned from several reliable sources that Hezbollah and the Iranians in the southern area of Syria continue to lure more people to join their ranks through calling for “Shiitism” and enlisting through offices belong to them, in addition to Shiite Mazars in Daraa in particular, raising to more than 1600, the number of members who joined them after being persuade by members of Hezbollah and the Iranians with attractive salaries reached about $300 USD per individual.

Unlike the eastern countryside of Daraa, the Russians and the Syrian regime dominate race at the western countryside of Daraa, where the established-by-Russia 5th Corps continues to recruit young men and boys both of civilians and former fighter of factions who have carried out “reconciliation and settlements,” to engage in their ranks and to be thrown side to side with the regime forces in the battlefronts, where the 5th Corps pays monthly and periodical salaries to those who join its ranks after they fill out a form with complete personal information, military service, whether they own a weapon or not and so on, and in al-Mayadin city the Shiite sheikhs were seen trying to motivate civilians to get enlisted, through touring al-Mayadin city, being nice to the people, and distributing food and sweets to children, and the Syrian Observatory monitored the spread of phrases written by the Iranian forces and the forces that belong to them on walls at the streets of al-Mayadin city read: “Death to America and Israel – Salam Aziz Fatima – O men our decision is resistance”

And in the past days the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored al-Tammu neighborhood on the road of Qal’aat al-Rahba near the Power Station in al-Mayadin city, on the west banks of Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, witnessed during the last 72 hours the repeated Azan in al-Tammu mosque, which the Iranians take it as their own in neighborhood the city, where the sources confirmed that the neighborhood includes more than 250 members of Iranian forces and militias of the Shiite sect, and they take the houses of the neighborhood as their residence out of about 800 members of these forces and militias, the Azan was heard in the neighborhood’s Mosque and the people noticed the words of the Azan were spoken according to the Shiite doctrine, which are repeated at all times of Azan, also this mosque where the Azan is being raised is considered a private mosque, and it is prevented for those who are not officers of members of the Iranians and followers of the Shiite sect to enter it.

the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from several reliable sources that tens of Asian families have arrived to the west of Euphrates River, coming to areas of control of the Iranian Forces and their allied militias within the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: about 50 families of the Iranian and Afghan families arrived at al-Mayadin city west of Euphrates River, they are families of fighters in the Iranian and Afghan militias of the Shiite sect, also these families speak Persian and the languages spoken in Afghanistan, the sources confirmed that they were resettled in the area of Dahr al-Alwa in al-Mayadin city, in houses where the “Islamic State” seized previously under the pretext of “their owners are in the countries of the infidels”.

The Syrian Observatory’s reliable sources also confirmed that the arrival of these families came after the Irani Revolutionary Guard opened the door of “enlisting” in its forces operating on the Syrian territory within Deir Ezzor Province for the first time in the countryside of Deir Ezzor province, and the sources confirmed that this is the first time the enlisting in the ranks of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces is opened, where previously the enlisting only included the Iranian-funded militias which are backed by the Iranian Forces, such as al-Nujabaa militias, Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas, and Hezbollah, ands most of those Syrians who have been enlisted were from the provinces of Deir Ezzor, Aleppo, and Rif Dimashq.

Also The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published in late October 2018 that the Iranian forces present on the Syrian territory which possess thousands of members deployed on Syrian territory, are expanding this deployment not only on the military aspect, but in other aspects as well, which may enable them to move away from regional and international monitoring. Intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the Iranian forces have intensified their presence in addition to the presence of those supported by them on a sectarian, material, or intellectual basis in the west of Euphrates, and this presence was manifested in two main areas, al-Bokamal and al-Mayadin, where they constitute an important areas for the Iranians who have been strongly involved in the clashes of control of them both, and the Iranian General Qasim Soleimani has led the battles of control of al-Bokamal, where reliable sources confirmed to the Observatory that the Iranian Forces control the way of life within al-Bokamal and the security and economic aspects within the city as well, not to mention their control of the military aspect and the leadership of forces located at this place.

The Syrian Observatory monitored the Iranians positioning at key points in al-Mayadin area to the west of al-Bokamal, where their positioning is represented by an Afghani charitable kitchen, in which the Iranian-backed Afghani militias prepare and distribute meals to the people and the displaced people, also the Secondary Sharia School of al-Mayadin city was transformed into an affiliation center for the Iranian and Shiite militias, which sometimes includes Shiite-related symposia and conferences, also the Iranian forces and Asian gunmen of the Shiite citizens are positioned in Hawi area at al-Mayadin city, also reliable sources confirmed that the Iranians set up a Husseinieh and Mazar in the Nabe’ Ayn Ali, which is located between al-Mayadin and Mahkan, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the arrival of buses carrying Iranians from the “Shiite visitors” of the Iranians, Syrians, and Iraqis, where carried out Shiite sectarian rituals in the area which is witnessing a large military presence of the Iranian Forces, also the Iranian Forces are deployed in the area between the sheep market and al-Rahba castle in al-Mayadin, where there are military forces prevent the entry and exit of anyone of the non-Iranians of both civilians and militaries, amid heavy guard and permanent flight of drones over the area.

The Syrian Observatory also monitored the presence of Iranian forces in the countryside of Salamiyah city at the eastern countryside of Hama, in training centers and affiliation centers in al-Sabbura and other areas of the countryside of Hama, with an earlier presence in the 47th Brigade in Hama countryside, and in the northern and northwestern countryside of Aleppo and in the contact lines with the factions in the southern countryside of Aleppo, the Syrian Desert, and other areas of Syria in the countryside of Homs, Hama, and Rif Dimashq.

and the Syrian Observatory published earlier that the  Israeli forces resumed the escalation of their strikes targeting certain sites on the Syrian territory, as part of the continuous escalation since the beginning of April 2018, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored during the past 5 months the Israeli warplanes and missile strikes targeting Iranian and other militia sites under their command, as well as sites of the Lebanese Hezbollah, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored air and missile strikes targeted the vicinity of Damascus International Airport, weapons depots and ammunition on the outskirts of Baniyas and Masyaf mountains in the Syrian coast and the western countryside of Hama, the vicinity of Damascus International Airport and the suburbs of the capital Damascus, “Itm’enan Support Center” of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards located near Neirab airbase at the eastern outskirts of Aleppo city, Mazzeh Airbase, al-Harri area in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, and areas in the northern and middle countryside of Quneitra, al-Dabaa Airbase in the southwestern countryside of Homs, the campus and vicinity of the T4 Airbase in the eastern countryside of Homs, Brigade 47 and, Salhab area in the western countryside of Hama, sites near the towns of Khan Arnabah and al-Baath city in the countryside of Quneitra, al-Kiswah area in Rif Dimashq, al-Dumayr Airbase area, the triangle of Daraa – Quneitra southwest of Rif Dimashq, Neirab airbase and Aleppo International Airport, also 2 explosions hit Hama Airbase and a position of the Iranian Forces in the southern countryside of Aleppo, also 2 explosions hit Hama airbase and a location of the Iranian Forces in the southern countryside of Aleppo.

These airstrikes have caused significant casualties in the ranks of the Iranian Forces and their loyal militias, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the killing of more than 113 of the Iranian Forces and their loyal and affiliated forces, as a result of Israeli missile and aerial strikes, which targeted their sites, warehouses, and missiles in several areas in the northern and central of Syria and in the southern Syrian and the Desert since early April 2018, and 28 members at least of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian nationality have been killed as a result of explosions in ammunition and fuel depots at Hama airbase west of Hama city, also, news were published about tens of Israeli media strikes against locations of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them and the Lebanese Hezbollah, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the killing of 40 members of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them including 2 officers since last April 2018.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the absence of the Iranian party and its forces from the military participation in these areas, against the backdrop of the cessation of the military operation that was taking place in the eastern and southeastern countryside of Idlib, and not continuing it towards the towns of al-Fu’ah and Kafriya in northeast of Idlib city, which are inhabited by citizens of the Shia sect.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published days ago that In conjunction with local, regional and international talk about the stay or withdrawal of Iranian Forces and their loyal and affiliated armed militias, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights -so far- has not monitored any withdrawals by the Iranian military forces, the Iraqi, Afghan and Asian militias, and, the Lebanese Hezbollah from their military positions on the Syrian territory, where the above-mentioned forces remain in their military positions which are spread in most of the Syrian areas, and these sites are distributed between al-Kiswah area and the southwest of Rif Dimashq, the southern countryside of Aleppo, the surroundings the towns of Nubl and Zahra in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the eastern countryside of Idlib, the northern and southern countryside of Hama and Sahl al-Ghab in the northwestern countryside of Hama, al-Qalamoun, Zabadani plain, southwestern countryside of Homs, al-Bokamal, and the Deserts of Homs and Deir Ezzor.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from reliable sources about the numbers of Iranian Forces and their loyal militias of Lebanese, Iraqi, Afghan, Iranian and Asian nationalities, where the number is estimated to be more than 32000 non-Syrian fighters.