Deployment of More Iraqi Shiite Militias to Aleppo Battles

Reuters reports that Harakat al-Nujaba, a Shiite militia group in Iraq, has announced the deployment of a thousand militants to participate in the battles of the Syrian government's allies in Aleppo. The increased foreign troop deployment to Aleppo comes as the Turkish army has also directly entered the Syrian battles, and negotiations between the U.S. and Russia have yielded no results. According to Reuters, Hashem Mousavi, the spokesman for Harakat al-Nujaba, stated that the group's Shiite militants are engaged in 'replenishing forces' in areas that have been taken from the rebels. Last month, rebels opposing Bashar al-Assad's government managed to break the siege of their controlled areas and advance towards the positions of the Syrian army and its allies. Following that, the intensity of the fighting in Aleppo has escalated again. Reports indicate that government forces have recently succeeded in re-sieging the rebels. Aleppo, once the economic center of Syria, has now become a battleground divided between government and rebel-held sections. The presence of Harakat al-Nujaba in Aleppo is not new; the Mashregh News website in Iran, which is said to be close to certain security agencies, reported a month ago that this group was among 'hundreds of forces from the army, popular mobilization, and Hezbollah.' These groups have launched counterattacks against the rebels to regain control of the barracks and artillery school buildings in the Ramouseh neighborhood in southern Aleppo. The Ramouseh area is one of the most important centers of recent clashes between the rebels and Assad's allied forces; the military academies and arsenals in Ramouseh are of significant strategic importance for both sides. Reuters states that a Twitter account covering news of 'Harakat al-Nujaba' has published images of its militants on the Syrian front alongside Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Images on other accounts in this social network also show the Harakat al-Nujaba flag, Qassem Soleimani, and comments regarding his presence in Aleppo. Iran is a supporter of Iraqi Shiite militias and one of the main backers of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Tehran also organizes and directs the deployment of foreign militias to the Syrian fronts. The deployment of Iraqi Shiite militias to Syria occurs while these groups are also engaged in battles within Iraq. They have been working alongside the army, security forces, and other militias supporting Baghdad to reclaim areas held by the 'Islamic State.' In recent weeks, the Turkish army has also entered battles in northern Syria; these battles are being fought against extremist 'ISIS' militants on one side and a predominantly Kurdish coalition supported by the U.S. on the other. Talks between senior U.S. and Russian officials to reach an agreement that could enhance the sustainability of a ceasefire in Syria have also remained fruitless. In recent days, the UN reported an increase in civilian casualties, mainly due to airstrikes by the Syrian army and their Russian allies. A group of Syrian activists and aid workers also stated that parts of Aleppo have been targeted by chemical attacks from the army. These reports have yet to be independently verified. In this context, UNICEF reported that the war has displaced 28 million children. The Syrian opposition stated that if the U.S.-Russia agreement differs from their plan, they will not accept it. Toner stated that the U.S. and Russia have not yet reached an agreement on Syria. Erdogan stated that Turkey is ready to cooperate with the U.S. to carry out operations against the city of Raqqa.