Report: Iranian-backed Iraqi factions form backbone of IRGC presence in Syria

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi "militias" aligned with Tehran in Syria represent the "backbone" of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) power in Syria, a recent report by Independent Arabia says.

The report details several key Iraqi factions operating in Syria, each crucial in reinforcing Iran's military and strategic influence. Among these groups is Kata'ib Hezbollah, which boasts an estimated 7,000 fighters and works closely with Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has been present in Damascus since 2013.

Other significant factions are the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq.

Additionally, Saraya Tala'a al-Khorasani, with around 5,000 armed fighters, operates both in Iraq and Syria, further strengthening the Iranian-backed forces in the region.

Other factions mentioned in the report include Quwat Muhammad al-Baqir, Al-Imam al-Hussein Brigade, Dhulfiqar Brigade, and Faylaq al-Waad al-Sadiq.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that the total number of foreign forces in Syria, including Iraqi, Afghan, and Pakistani fighters, reached around 15,000 in 2013. Meanwhile, the Jusoor Center has assessed that approximately 100,000 Iranian-backed fighters have participated in the Syrian conflict since 2012, operating under the banner of 70 military groups distributed across 50 bases and nearly 500 military points.

The map of Iranian-backed forces indicates the presence of between 28 to 30 strategic sites in southern Syria, with a brigade protecting sensitive storage facilities. The Syrian Observatory also documents 55 bases and approximately 515 military points spread across Deir ez-Zor, Bukamal, and Mayadin in eastern Syria, the deserts and countryside of Homs near the Syrian-Lebanese border, rural Aleppo, as well as southern Damascus, Daraa, and Quneitra, in addition to the Sayyidah Zaynab area and its surroundings near the capital.