Iran's
Elite Forces Enduring Rising Casualties in Syrian Offensive
by IPT News • Nov 23, 2015 at
11:22 am
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Fearing the overthrow of Bashaar Al-Assad's regime, an emboldened
Islamic Republic of Iran has drastically increased its involvement in
Syria, despite suffering heavy losses among its elite Iranian Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC).
That finding is detailed in a new report by Raz Zimmit of the Meir Amit Intelligence and
Terrorism Information Center.
Since the 2011 start of Syria's civil war, Iran has directed the
military campaign to maintain the Assad regime's control over Damascus and
strategic strongholds in the north. Until recently, Iran's presence in
Syria resembled interventions in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen – involving several
hundred advisors and thousands of Shi'ite fighters – including Hizballah –
under the direction of the IRGC's Quds Force. However, Iran deployed
1,500-2,000 of its own troops to support Syria's northern military
offensive launched in early October.
A joint Iranian-Syrian operations room was created in Aleppo to serve as
a command and control center for the purposes of coordinating the offensive
– involving the IRGC, Syria's military and Iranian sponsored Shi'ite
militias under the cover of Russian aerial support. However by the end of
October, rebel organizations including al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front and the
Islamic State, maintained control over key areas targeted by the
Iranian-led offensive.
At least 53 IRGC troops have been killed since, marking a significant
increase in Iranian casualties. According to the analysis, the vast
majority of Iranians killed are from the IRGC's regular fighting units –
including high-ranking officers – indicating that they are fighting on the
front lines. Moreover, IRGC's elite Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani personally directs the military
operations in northwestern Syria, suggesting that Iran is diverting critical assets from Iraq to the Syrian
theater.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to enhance terrorist networks in the Golan
Heights, using Hizballah, Druze, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
operatives to strike Israel. In August, PIJ terrorists – reportedly under
Iran's directions – fired four rockets at Israeli territory.
Further examination of the Iranians recently killed shows that many of
the fighters hail from special, highly trained units, including the Ansar
al-Mahdi security unit and the Saberin brigade. The sharp increase in
deaths has forced Iran to justify its involvement in Syria, launching a
media campaign to bolster public support for the military intervention.
This campaign emphasizes the importance of protecting Shi'ite religious
shrines in Syria and the extent to which the Assad regime serves the
Islamic Republic's national interests.
Growing dissention among the IRGC ranks surfaced amid reports that
several senior commanders, along with junior officers, reportedly refused to obey orders to continue the military
campaign in Syria. Growing defiance has forced Iran to court-martial
several personnel for "mutiny and treason," as the rising death
toll contributes to deteriorating morale among the IRGC ranks. There may
even be some disagreement among Iran's leadership concerning continued
involvement in Syria. In a recent address to a group of students, IRGC
commander Mohammad-Ali Jafari suggested that some Iranian officials
questioned Iran's steadfast support for Assad.
Despite rising casualties and internal dissention, Iran's leadership
appears firmly committed to propping up the Assad regime in its bid to
maintain a critical ally that serves the Islamic Republic's expansion and
regional hegemonic ambitions.
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