Popular fear of using civilians as human shields | IRGC transports weapons and ammunition to residential neighbourhoods in al-Mayadeen
Deir Ezzor province: Syrian Observatory activists in al-Mayadeen city, the capital of the Iranians in west Euphrates region, have reported that militias of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps transported, in the past few hours, a large quantity of weapons and ammunition from warehouses in al-Mazare’ area on the outskirts of al-Mayadeen to houses in populated neighbourhoods, where the transportation of weapons and ammunition was concentrated in the “16th Street” area in the city. It is worth noting that the Iranians seized these houses in the past few days, as SOHR has warned against such practices and pointed out to the growing popular fear of using the region’s residents by the Iranians as human shields.
On July 8, SOHR activists reported that factions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps seized dozens of houses in al-Mayadeen city in eastern Deir Ezzor. The Iranian-backed factions confiscated 14 houses in al-Arbeen Street, 12 houses in the 16th Street, and eight houses in al-Mahareem neighbourhood.
According to SOHR activists, all the houses were owned by opponents of the Syrian regime from outside the area. The Iranian affiliated factions first notified relative of the houses’ owners who were living in those house to evacuate the houses in 48 hours. The inhabitants left without resistance, and even their neighbours fled their houses fearing that the factions-seized houses would be turned into human armours or weapon warehouses for the Iranians, which posed a threat to the inhabitants’ safety and lives in the case of executing airstrikes by Israel or the international coalition.
A day earlier, SOHR activists, in areas held by Iranian and regime forces in Deir Ezzor, reported the arrival of military committee from Damascus to Deir Ezzor. It is worth noting that the committee main task was to demolish military checkpoint affiliated to Russian-backed Palestinian Liwaa al-Quds that committed significant violations against the civilians in Deir Ezzor, including imposing levies.