Hezbollah fighters arrive to Syria’s Deir ez-Zor to fight SDF– Sources
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Military sources revealed on Thursday the arrival of fighters from central Syria to Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria, to fight against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The fighters will undergo combat training in preparation for conducting operations in the region east of the Euphrates River, where the SDF and the U.S.-led Global Coalition maintain control. The training will be overseen by Iranian commanders, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told North Press.
The sources stated that a group of approximately 150 fighters, originating from countryside of Aleppo in northwestern Syria, Homs in central Syria, and Hama in west-central Syria, arrived from Hezbollah military posts near al-Dibyat oil field and the Tiyas Military Airbase (T-4 base) in Homs to Deir ez-Zor.
Around 50 fighters had previously arrived, on Jan. 20, for combat training, preceded by the transfer of logistical equipment and Iranian-made missiles from central Syria to the town of al-Mayadin in eastern of Deir ez-Zor.
The sources added that the trainings will be conducted ahead of the anticipated operation in the near future. The operation is planned to be launched from areas located in the vicinity of the town of Abu Kamal, eastern Deir ez-Zor.
The direction and distribution of new fighters are overseen by Haj Abu Ali, a Lebanese national and a Hezbollah leader responsible for the Iranian-held zone near al-Baloum roundabout in al-Mayadin, according to the sources.
The sources indicated that Haj Abu Ali is overseeing the operations of the Tribal Forces, a militia affiliated with both Iran and the government, which is dedicated to combatting the SDF. He is coordinating with Haj Abbas, an Iranian national and the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Abu Kamal.
Haj Abbas is responsible for liaising with Regiment 47 and deploying local fighters to the opposite side of the river, while also monitoring the situation in Abu Kamal.
According to the sources, Abu Issa al-Mashhadani, the commander of Regiment 47 in Abu Kamal, has been tasked with mobilizing a contingent of local fighters from Regiment 47 and ensuring their safety during the operation.
Furthermore, a man named Atallah al-Hamoud, also known as Abu Awad al-Mashhadani, who is the deputy leader of Regiment 47, has been assigned to supervise the newly-arrived group of fighters.
They also mentioned that the recruitment task has been assigned to Muntasir al-Hussein, a local leader in the Iran-backed Baqir Brigade. He is also responsible for leading and organizing a large-scale recruitment campaign that targeted thousands of minors in the cities and towns of Deir ez-Zor, Abu Kamal, al-Mayadin, Ayyash, Shumaytiyah, and al-Tebni.
Furthermore, al-Hussein also supervises their training and preparation for crossing to the opposing riverbank. They will undergo training in the camps of Regiment 47 in the outskirts of Abu Kamal and the camps of Regiment 137 near Deir ez-Zor Airport for a period of approximately 15 to 20 days, the sources added.
The sources said that this group is known as the “al-Sa’qa Forces” and is affiliated with the tribes. The process of securing the crossing of fighters from the countryside of Abu Kamal will be supervised by Amer Abu al-Fadel, the official in charge of the positions in Brigade 47.