Iran’s presence and intervention in Syria

The Iranian regime has established a religious university in Syria named the “Al-Mostafa University” in order to train theology and to mobilize forces to use in fronts.

Jama’aMostafa (Mostafa University)

Syria’s Mostafa University has 550 theology students, 350 men and 200 women.

The Mostafa University has established 4 districts in Syria for these theology students. Two districts are in Damascus, one of which is in the Zein al-Abedin area and the other in near the Hazrat-e Zeinab shrine. There is also another district in Homs and the forth is in northern Aleppo in Nable and Zahra. This area is surrounded by the al-Nosra Front and the Free Syrian Army.

These theology students are protected by the IRGC and Hezbollah.

The male students in this university are from the countries: Syria, India, Guiana, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leon, Palestine and Afghanistan. There are two Iranians among them that are professors and teach the students. There are 38 teachers who are from the countries: Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Guiana.

The students here both study religious lessons and also get military training. Any student that wants to leave for the battlefield is permitted to skip class.

The students don’t have a military structure and are civilians. Some of them work at checkpoints and don’t go to battle. They stand near the Zeinab Shrine and carry out inspections.

IRGC forces in Syria

After Homs and near Hama, there is an area named Sanavia. An entire IRGC battalion is stationed there. This battalion is consisted of forces from cities across Iran. There are some Afghans in it as well.

The eastern areas of Damascus have been divided into blocks; some are in the hands of the IRGC and the other in the hands of Hezbollah.

The Afghans in Syria are generally under the control of the IRGC and are mostly stationed in Aleppo and Damascus. They speak Farsi and their culture and rituals are close to Iranians.

A group called “Fatemiyoun” is consisted of Afghans and they operate under the command of the IRGC. In Aleppo they operate under the command of IRGC Commander SeyedJavad. Within the cities of Nable and Zahra in the Aleppo suburbs there are Syrian forces stationed and the IRGC is stationed in the city of al-Safirah. There are two Iraqi battalions in Syria. One is the Kataeb Battalion that is only under the command of the IRGC. The commander of the Kataeb is the son of MullaKa’abi (member of the Iranian Guardian Council and Expediency Council). He is a clergy and a sheikh. They are stationed in Duma. Ka’abi not only controls the Kataeb battalion buts he also commands other battalions. His name is either Hossein or Hassan. He himself is in Zeinabiya.

There are other Iraqi battalions that are under the supervision of Muqtada al-Sadr. Most of these battalions are in Damascus.

IRGC commander YadollahJavani, the Iranian supreme leader’s senior advisor and representative in the IRGC announced that more than 10,000 IRGC forces are fighting terrorist groups outside the borders of our country. These forces are substituted every 24 days. Baghdad’s security belt and the protection of all holy sites in Iraq and Syria are in the hands of the IRGC.