Iran operates in northeast Syria in disguise
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Iran has recently started operating in Qamishli International Airport in northeastern Syria secretly and in disguise to avoid being targeted by Israel, an exclusive source said on Tuesday.
The source told North Press that Iran has recently started to move secretly and under false names in Qamishli airport, where it has posts, after significant pressures by Russia and fears of Israeli airstrikes.
The source, who preferred anonymity, added that Russia has started to put pressure on Iran after the killing of a prominent leader of the National Defense Forces (NDF), a militia affiliated with the Syrian government forces and backed by Iran, in the city of Hasakah.
Russia is attempting to crack down on Iranian presence due to compromises with the U.S. to prevent the Iranian expansion in the region, the source noted.
The source indicated that Iran operates in Hasakah Governorate under fake names such as the Relations Office, the Secret Office, and Special Operations Battalion that has been recently founded.
These offices are run by a man called Haj Suleiman and its main task is to facilitate the movement of Iranian militant from and to the airports of Qamishli, Deir ez-Zor and Damascus, according to the source.
The words like “Haj” are pseudonyms that refer to Iranian-linked leaders in Syria.
Iran has recently done its best to control significant posts like the government-held neighborhood in Hasakah and deepened ties in the region via the NDF.
It also secured an important strategic post near the main Russian military base in northeastern Syria, the Qamishli International Airport, as it has a strong presence in the neighborhood of Tartab, south of Qamishli, and the area between Zouri Roundabout and the villages of Hamo and Qusair, where Iran has established military training centers and positioned its militants.