Russia’s fears of Iranian hegemony in west of Euphrates push them to send groups armed by Russia to the area and deploy on the Tehran – Beirut road
Deir Ezzor province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the past month witnessed the arrival of thousands of members of the Tiger Forces led by the Brigadier in the ranks of the regime forces, Suhail al-Hasan, and the forces of the 5th Corps backed and armed by Russia, to the west of Euphrates River, and they were deployed along the road of Tehran – Beirut of the strategic importance for the Iranian Forces, within the sector of the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor Province, the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that this deployment by the Russian-armed forces; comes in an attempt by Russia to end the Iranian hegemony over the area, especially the areas of al-Bokamal and al-Mayadin, after the popular resentment in the area of the Iranian forces’ expand within the area on sectarian bases, where they brought tens of Iranian and Asian families of the Shiite sect to the towns and villages of the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and the recruitment operations carried out by them against youth and men in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, where they managed to recruit about 1100 persons in the recent weeks, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 11th of December 2018 that the Iranians almost never stop expanding inside Syria, where the previous years of fighting let them know the land, and in the recent months they have turned into pickers and selectors for places where they can expand, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights followed this expansion process, and The Syrian Observatory monitored the increase in number of the Syrian citizens who joined the ranks of the Iranian forces and their militias of the Afghanis, Asians, Lebanese and Iraqis, and the Syrian Observatory learned that the number of those who joined them reached about 3200 of Syrians men and young men, where they are enlisted for monthly salaries vary from west of Euphrates to the south of Syria, where these salaries start from US $ 150 to about US $ 300, depending on its proximity to the Syrian border with the occupied Syrian Golan, where the salary increases as the distance to the occupied Syrian Golan gets closer.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored continuous attempts by the Iranians to entice civilians in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor on the road to Tehran – Beirut, trying to establish an popular base in the area, which will prevent the loss of the strategic road between Iranian capital Tehran and the Lebanese capital Beirut, which is used by the Iranian forces mainly. these enticing attempts come through their attempts to return the rights of the residents, of those whose belongings were seized by volunteers and conscripts in the Iranian militias, to earn the love of the population and satisfy them and to push them to join their ranks, they also distribute food, clothes, blankets, and other daily tools and study tools, all of them have Persian writings, and the Iranian forces through their spreading are preventing the regime forces from abusing the population and return their belongings to them, where the people now go to the Iranian forces to get back their stolen property taken rights by the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the increase of number of volunteers in the ranks of Iranian Forces and militias recently to about 3200 Syrian volunteers, where it rose to about 950 persons of different ages, where the Syrian Observatory monitored that 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, the sources told the Syrian Observatory that the process of luring the citizens to come was through a monthly salary, 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, 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, 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, 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”.
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 eastern 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 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored in the recent days that the Azan is raised within the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor according to the Shiite doctrine, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: 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 repeating the 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, while the majority of the Syrian volunteers are from the provinces of Deir Ezzor, Aleppo, and Rif Dimashq.