Report: “The butcher from Malab” returns to Syria to suppress the rebels in Assad

Iran is preparing to increase its military involvement in Syria against the backdrop of the fight against rebels in the northwest of the country. Reuters reported that militia fighters from Iraq have already been sent to Syria, and according to some reports that have not yet been verified – the Revolutionary Guards have returned to Syria one of their senior officers, who was previously given the dubious nickname “The Butcher of Milk”.Two Syrian security sources told Reuters this morning (Monday) that pro-Iranian militia fighters from Iraq entered Syria to help Assad’s army stop the advance of the rebels. In the documentation published on social networks, a convoy of dozens of vehicles with masses of militia fighters is seen on their way from Iraq to Syria. One of the vehicles in the convoy carries the flag of al-Hashd al-Shaabi, the umbrella organization of the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.

 

NEW: Iran-backed militias, including Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun groups, entered Syria overnight from Iraq.

Dozens of Hashd al-Shaabi fighters crossed near Al Bukamal, with reinforcements heading to northern frontlines. pic.twitter.com/k73GFAZ23Z

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 2, 2024

Various reports indicate that the Revolutionary Guards have sent their senior general Javad Gafri to Syria. Gaffri was stationed in Syria at the beginning of the civil war in 2011, and led the fight against the rebels, mainly in the Aleppo sector – and was nicknamed “the butcher of Malab”. Iran reported that President Massoud Pazkhian spoke by phone with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad this morning, expressed support for him, and clarified: “Iran is ready to provide Syria with all types of support to eliminate terrorism.”

In November 2021, it was reported on the Saudi news website Al-Arabiya that Jawad Ghafari, the commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria, was transferred from his position, because he “undermined Syrian sovereignty excessively”. According to reports, he planned to carry out a series of attacks against the US military in Syria – which posed a direct threat to the regime of Syrian President Assad. In August 2022, it was reported on the Iran International website that Ghafari was at the head of the Iranian effort to harm Israeli citizens in Turkey.

 

 

 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baka’i commented today on the fighting situation in Syria and said that “at the request of Damascus – the activity of the Iranian military advisers in Syria will continue.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that they would “take a severe legal and international response” against the rebels who raided the Iranian consulate in Aleppo. Last week, the rebels in Syria killed Khomers Pourhashmi, one of the senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria, who was also alleged to have been the commander of the Iranian military advisers in the country.

 

 

 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Turkey tonight and met with his counterpart Khan Fidan this morning. It is evident that Tehran is interested in putting pressure on Ankara, which according to some estimates pushed and supported the rebels to go on the attack – with the aim of increasing the pressure on Assad, Iran and Russia. Yesterday Araqchi met in Damascus with Assad, in the first photo of the Syrian president published since the renewed uprising against him began.

The pro-Turkish SNA forces in Syria released a recording of a drone attack against Assad’s army personnel south of the city of Aleppo

Syrian National Army (SNA) FPV drone strike on large group of Assad regime forces near the Defense Factories axis in Aleppo pic.twitter.com/TXWahRc4wY

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 2, 2024

Like Iran, the one who is still very troubled by the rebel uprising is Russia. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus Bek Yavkurov arrived in the last day for a quick visit to Latakia, which is close to the large Russian base in Chamayim. Yavkurov is responsible on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense for the Wagner group and the Russian military activity and influence in the countries of Africa and the Middle East. His visit to Syria comes at the end of a visit to countries in Africa, and may teach about Moscow’s panic and urgency following the sequence of events in Syria.

The Kremlin clarified today that Russia continues to support Syrian President Assad. It was also reported that in Moscow they are closely following the developments and will formulate their position on the issue. Meanwhile, Russian Air Force planes continue to mercilessly bombard rebel targets and civilian targets in the Aleppo region and other areas in northern Syria.

Syrian opposition sources reported tonight that the US military attacked targets of the pro-Iranian militias near the city of al-Mayadeen in the province of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria. According to the reports, the attack came in response to an attack by the militias against one of the American forces in the area. Over the past few days it has been reported in Arab media about several such attacks, among other things on the forces at the A-Tanf bases, Knocho and others American against the militia fighters in eastern Syria may now be of great significance at the same time as the report of the entry of fighters from Iraq.