Afghan Shia Militias Recruited by Iran Fight Islamic State in Syria

  • 6 years ago
Fighters with the Fatemiyoun Brigade, an Afghan Shia militia formed under the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, deployed in the desert south of Deir Ezzor, Syria, on November 5 to fight Islamic State.This footage, from a pro-Syrian government news outlet, shows the flag of the Fatemiyoun Brigade at about 15 seconds in. Soldiers with their faces covered and with unmarked uniforms stand in formation. A French-made Aerospatiale Gazelle helicopter flies low to the ground at 0:44 seconds in the footage. Iran’s air force is not reported to possess that type of helicopter.Soldiers can be seen loading a 107mm rocket of Iranian manufacture into a launcher at 0:57 seconds.The Fatemiyoun Brigade moved from the T2 gas pumping station, located in the desert south of Deir Ezzor toward Al-Bukamal on November 6, Iranian media said.Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Fatemiyoun Brigades joined Syrian government forces in their capture of Aleppo in 2016, local media said.The same pro-government news outlet published footage credited to the Iranian National Guard Corps from fighting in Al-Mayadeen, south of Deir Ezzor city in October. Credit: YouTube/War Media Room via Storyful

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