Iranian-backed militias enter Syria to reinforce Assad’s forces

Iranian-backed militias have entered Syria from Iraq overnight, heading towards northern Syria to reinforce Syrian army units engaged in fighting insurgents, two Syrian army sources said.

Dozens of fighters from the Iraq-based, Iran-aligned Hashd al Shaabi militia crossed into Syria through a military route near the Al Bukamal crossing, a senior Syrian army official said, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"These are fresh reinforcements sent to support our comrades on the front lines in the north," the officer said, noting that the militias included Iraq's Katiab Hezbollah and the Fatemiyoun Brigade.

Throughout the Syrian war, Iran deployed thousands of Shi'ite militias to Syria, and alongside Russian air support, played a key role in helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defeat the insurgency and reclaim most of the country. However, a shortage of such reinforcements in recent days contributed to the rapid retreat of Syrian forces and their withdrawal from Aleppo, according to two additional army sources. Iran-aligned militias, led by Hezbollah, maintain a significant presence in the Aleppo region.

Meanwhile, Israel has intensified airstrikes on Iranian bases in Syria in recent months and has launched an offensive in Lebanon, claiming that these actions have weakened Hezbollah and diminished its military capabilities.

By Vafa Guliyeva