DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – People of al-Mazare’ area in the countryside of al-Mayadin town, east of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, are concerned about various tunnels used by Iranian-backed militias to store weapons and ammunitions.
The residents describe storing weapons in the underground tunnels as a “time bomb”, given any technical disorder or strike on the tunnels can lead to huge damage to the residential buildings nearby.
The Iranian-backed militias use the tunnels to store weapons and hide them from US and Israeli drones which monitor the militias’ movement in the area.
The Islamic State (ISIS) had already constructed and equipped the tunnels during the time they controlled the area and Iranian-backed militias did not even break a sweat to do the planning, digging, maintaining ventilation or lighting.
The Iranian-backed militias control large swaths of Deir ez-Zor, most notably al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal which are destination for large numbers of the militias fighters of both Arabs and foreigners.
They have penetrated in Deir ez-Zor countryside since 2017 when it took control of the city and its countryside following battles with ISIS.
Earlier, a former commander in Liwa Fatemyioun (an Afghan Shia militia formed in 2014 to fight in Syria on the side of the Syrian government) told North Press that ‘the storehouses contain light and medium ammunitions and are considered as field arms depots for Fatemyioun Brigade, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and the Iraqi Hezbollah.
“Storing weapons aims to avoid airstrikes and to be near the deserts in case the Iranian-backed militias military points and headquarters are targeted by ISIS,” he said.
But, well-informed sources of al-Mazare’ area told North Press that the tunnels hide large numbers of Iranian rockets as well as all types of arms, ammunitions and explosives.
The sources also said the Ianian-backed militias like Fatemyioun, Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Sayyidah Zaynab forces, have recently tested launching Iranian-made ground-to-ground missiles (GGM) from al-Mazare’ area into the desert.
A strategic zone
The Iranian-backed militias consider al-Mazare’ a strategic area as it is high and overlooks al-Omar field oil where headquarters belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and a military base of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS exist.
The militias can target the military base in al-Omar oil field and other military objects in SDF-held areas east of the Euphrates River.
Lately, the militias in the west of the Euphrates targeted the Global Coalition military base in al-Omar oil field but no casualties or material damage was reported.
On January 4, the militias targeted the al-Omar oil field with several GGMs which were stored in the tunnels.
On January 5, the Global Coalition airstrikes targeted the militias sites in al-Ashara and al-Mayadin towns in the west of the Euphrates River.
Recently, the Iranian-backed militias installed a radar system in al-Mayadin to detect the drones and protect its military points from airstrikes.
In late 2021, the factions installed a radar system and operated it in al-Mazare’ area near al-Mayadin and transformed the area to colonies and military barracks.
Prior to that, the factions tested an Iranian-made drone nicknamed “Ababil” which hovered in the skies of al-Rahba castle and Mazar Ayn area south of al-Mayadin.
Increased Iranian infiltration
A resident of al-Mazare’ who preferred not to mention his name for security reasons, expressed concern about the increase of the Iranian infiltration in the region and that al-Mazare’ area might turn to a conflict arena and mutual place of target between the Iranian-backed militias and the US forces.
Positions of the militias in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor under the Syrian government control are occasionally targeted. Israel has been reported behind some of the strikes.
The militias consider al-Mazare’ area as a suitable and an immune area for storing missiles and weapons and this is the reason why the Mazare’ is targeted, according to the resident.
An Iranian-backed faction has had new fortifications in its positions in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
In April 2021, Liwa Fatemyioun completed digging a series of trenches in the outskirts of its military sites in the desert of Jabal al-Bishri in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor. The digging took five consecutive months of work.
At the time, a military source told North Press that “a series of tunnels will be dug for fighters to hide in during the aerial strikes that target our posts in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor from time to time.”
Another person of al-Mazare’ told North Press that the farmers who own an agricultural land near the tunnels are afraid to cultivate their land fearful the area will be targeted while they are working. “The majority of the agricultural lands near the trenches have been left uncultivated for years.”