Martyrs Foundation Covers '400 Families' of Those Killed in Syria

The head of Iran's Martyrs Foundation stated that the organization covers '400 families' of those killed in Syria, half of whom are Afghan. Mohammad Ali Shahidi, in an interview with ILNA news agency, referred to the name of the IRGC's overseas branch and said, 'We immediately cover what the Quds Force announces.' He added that 'over 200' families of 'Martyrs of the Shrine' have been covered, and 'given the emphasis on the families of the 'Fatimiyoun' shrine defenders who are our guests, their families are also covered.' Iranian officials refer to the paramilitary forces and military personnel sent by Iran who fight alongside Bashar al-Assad against rebels in Syria as 'Defenders of the Shrine.' Organized groups or those supported by Iran include members of Hezbollah from Lebanon, as well as Afghan or Iraqi citizens. 'Fatimiyoun' is mainly composed of organized Afghans. Shahidi's statements do not provide an exact number of Iranian or Afghan casualties in the Syrian war; he mentioned in another part of his interview with ILNA that they are 'waiting' for more casualties in Syria to be announced by the Quds Force to cover their families as well. He also stated that the number of injured in the Syrian civil war is much lower, around 20. The head of the Martyrs Foundation of Iran said that this foundation is 'not obligated to provide services' to 'those who went as fighters and returned.' Last July, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, reported that 400 individuals who were killed during the Syrian civil war, referred to as 'Defenders of the Shrine,' were buried in Iran. Iran and Russia are considered the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad's government and military, both of which have intervened militarily in the Syrian war. Many regional countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia and their allies, support various rebel groups opposing Assad's government. The Syrian civil war has continued for more than five years, resulting in between 270,000 to nearly half a million deaths. This war, which has yet to see a resolution despite international efforts to end it, has displaced half of Syria's citizens.