Hundreds of fighters from Iran-backed Iraqi militias entered Syria overnight to support the government in its battle against rebels who captured Aleppo last week, according to Syrian and Iraqi sources on Monday. This marks the largest deployment of Iraqi fighters into Syria since the conflict began in 2011, a war that has devastated much of the country and extended its effects into neighboring Iraq. With regional and global powers heavily invested in the region’s outcome, the influx of Iraqi forces highlights the Damascus government’s growing dependence on external allies to push back against the advance of jihadist groups.
The Iraqi force, part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, was dispatched to safeguard the strategically vital city of Aleppo. This city, a key battleground, has seen insurgents gaining ground, pushing government troops back from the outskirts. The Popular Mobilization Forces, a diverse coalition of military units, including state security police, Army divisions, a counterterrorism unit, and militias operating under the banner of the Iranian-backed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), have been brought together to combat the Islamic State, each with their own political, military, and economic interests.
Insurgents, led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched a surprise offensive to reclaim Aleppo and push into the countryside around the city of Idlib and neighboring Hama province. This advance has been a significant blow to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, causing a massive embarrassment. It comes at a time when Assad’s allies in Iran, Turkey, and Russia are preoccupied with their conflicts in the country.
The influx of reinforcements from Iraq is a further sign that Assad is increasingly relying on his neighbors to support him as he seeks to defeat the jihadists. The escalation of fighting in Syria has raised concerns about the possibility that the conflict could spill over into neighboring countries, primarily as a growing number of Syria’s jihadists are allied with several Turkish and Kurdish militant groups.
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 200 Iraqi troops traveled in pickup trucks into Syria at the Bou Kamal border crossing early on Monday morning. The Iraqi fighters are expected to deploy in Aleppo to assist the government’s pushback against the advancing insurgents, the monitor said.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, visited Damascus on Sunday and reaffirmed Iran’s unwavering support for the Syrian government and people. He pledged to continue safeguarding regional security and stability. “Iran will remain steadfast in its principled stance to fully support the Syrian government, nation, and army in their fight against terrorism and in safeguarding Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Araghchi told reporters after his meeting with Assad. He also criticized the United States and its regional allies for backing terrorist attacks against the Syrian people. He made these remarks while in the Syrian capital, leading a diplomatic delegation. This was his second trip to Syria this year, following his visit in January, during which he had vowed to return in the future.
