Escalating activity and desperate efforts | “Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia becomes major Iranian-backed power in Syria
“Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” sees graduation of new batches, while the number of its recruits exceeds 5,000
The militia of “Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” continues to lure more Syrians in regime-controlled areas, precisely west Euphrates region. The Iranian-backed militia has recently seen the graduation of a batch of new recruits of nearly 100 members in Al-Mayadeen area, the “capital of the Iranians in Syria.” Moreover, the militia continues registering and admitting Syrian young and adult men, on a daily basis, to undergo training courses in that region. These courses are under direct supervision of officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which supports and finances “Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia.
Further details: figures and information
“Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia is affiliated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and receives orders about military and administrative affairs from the command headquarters in Sayeda Zeinab in southern Damascus. The general commander of the militia in Syria is “Adnan Abbas Al-Sa’oud” nicknamed as “Abu Al-Abbas”, and he is from Al-Mayadeen city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. He is 45 years old and was graduated from Information Engineering faculty.
“Abu Al-Abbas” fled from Al-Mayadeen city to Damascus city in 2011 over an earlier retaliation case, where he worked as a vegetable vendor in Sayeda Zeinab area, before he joined IRGC in Syria in 2014. He was later entrusted to establish a local militia affiliated to the IRGC to operate under the banner of “Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia, Syria branch. “Abu Al-Abbas” recruited hundreds of people from Deir Ezzor, as soon as his militia entered Al-Mayadeen city, after the city had been captured by regime forces and Iranian-backed militias in October 2017.
The Iranian-backed militia started to expand and continued to admitting new recruits and offering more incentives, including high salaries and security immunity to its recruits. Today, “Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia has become one of the most major Iranian-backed militias in Syria, as it comprises over 5,000 members.
Areas of deployment
Troops of “Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia are deployed in several positions throughout Syria; and they are as follows:
- The surrounding areas of the archaeological fortress of Al-Rahba. This is the most prominent positions of this militia in Syria.
- Al-Ma’alef area in Al-Mayadeen city.
- Areas near the regime artillery brigades to the south of Al-Mayadeen city.
- Posts near Ain Ali shrine in Al-Qouriyah desert in the east of Deir Ezzor.
- Posts in the middle of the Syrian desert, precisely in the cemetery yard in Al-Asharah city.
- Al-Aloukah area in the desert.
- Outposts known as “Badr 11,” Badr 12,” Badr 13” and “Badr 14” on the banks of the Euphrates river.
- Abandoned petrol stations in Mahakan town.
- Al-Zayb station in Al-Tayba area.
- Al-Qal’a station in Al-Bel’oum neighbourhood in Al-Mayadeen city.
- Military headquarters in areas in the south of the capital, Damascus.
- Positions hosts regime military barracks nearby Damascus.
Tasks and nature of operations
“Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas” militia is entrusted to several tasks. For example, groups of its members are stationed on frontlines in the Syrian desert where they entrusted to foil any ISIS attacks in that region. The militia also has heavy weapons and missiles stored in warehouses in tunnels under Al-Rahba fortress in Al-Mayadeen area.
On the other hand, the militia is tasked to guard Ain Ali shrine, where its forces are the first defence line to defend the shrine in Al-Quriyyah desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
Also, the militia is tasked to guard the visitors and pilgrims who come periodically from Iraq and Iran to visit Shia’a shrines in Syria.
We, at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), renew our appeal to the international community, United Nations, and UN Security Council to intensify their efforts to force Iranian forces and their proxy militias out of Syria and bring all criminals, perpetrators of violations and all those who aided and abetted the killing and displacement of Syrian people to justice.