Iran-US war | Lebanese Hezbollah conducts intensive military exercises for nearly 60 tribesmen in Deir Ezzor near Syria-Lebanon border
SOHR sources have reported that the Lebanese Hezbollah has brought dozens of tribesmen in Deir Ezzor to its positions near the Syrian-Lebanese border in order to undergo military exercises on the use of light, medium and sophisticated weapons as well.
60 persons were carefully selected. They are members of Deir Ezzor tribes and reside in the areas under the control of the regime forces and Iranian-backed militias in Deir Ezzor.
Syrian Observatory sources added that the operation aims to confront the US-led International Coalition forces in SDF-held areas in Deir Ezzor.
The group of 60 persons will undergo intensive and professional military drills, that would last for a long time. After completing the military drills in SDF-held areas, they will carry out operations against the international coalition forces in Deir Ezzor.
The main reason for the selection of members from the residents of Deir Ezzor is because they can easily move between areas controlled by SDF and areas held by regime there.
This comes in light of the ongoing Iran-US war in eastern Syria, where the Americans recruit Syrians to counter Iranian expansion in Deir Ezzor amid similar operations by the Iranians as well.
On January 6, SOHR activists reported that as Iranian-backed militias continue their efforts and adopt new strategies to strike the interests of the US-led International Coalition and Syrian Democratic Forces in areas under their control, the Iranians started recruiting carefully-selected individuals from Deir Ezzor, who travel comfortably from areas dominated by Iranian-backed militias and SDF-held areas across Euphrates river. According to SOHR sources, these individuals receive professional training with the aim of carrying out attacks against US forces, International Coalition and SDF.
Reliable SOHR sources confirmed that the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Afghan militia of “Liwaa Fatemiyoun” recently trained tens of individuals from Al-Mayadeen and Deir Ezzor cities, after having undergone security check-ups by the Lebanese Hezbollah. These individuals later underwent ideological, physical and military courses, in which they have been trained on the use of heavy and light weapons and the control of drones in order to be ready to carry out attacks for the benefit of the Iranians.
Iranian-backed militias later sent the elites of the recently-trained individuals, whose number is estimated to be 70, to Iran where they underwent more professional training courses.
Beside offering financial incentives, the Iranians relied on “Sheikh Nawwaf Al-Bashir,” the elder of Al-Baqarah tribe, to recruit young and adult men from the region’s tribes in order to launch attacks on Coalition bases from SDF-controlled areas, where these tribesmen can travel comfortably to SDF-controlled areas under the cover of visiting their relatives.
According to SOHR sources, Iran has turned to a new strategy, which is manifested in launching attacks on Coalition bases from SDF-controlled areas, in order to beat all accusations against Iranian-backed militias in west Euphrates region and pinpoint the responsibility for such attacks on ISIS cells which are broadly active and numerous in SDF-controlled areas.