Several Iranian Revolutionary Guards Killed in Aleppo Clashes

On Saturday, December 1, the Syrian government acknowledged that rebels opposing Bashar al-Assad had taken control of parts of Aleppo and killed dozens of army soldiers. Meanwhile, reports from several Iranian state media indicate that a number of Islamic Republic forces have been killed in the Aleppo clashes. Aleppo has been under the control of the Syrian government for the past eight years, and the sudden attack by the group 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' and other allied groups on this city represents the biggest challenge for the rebels against Assad's government in recent years. The Syrian army claimed that airstrikes against government opponents have halted their advances in Aleppo and promised to regain control of the country's second-largest city and its suburbs in the coming days. Reuters reported, citing two sources affiliated with Assad's opponents, that the rebels have also taken control of the city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man in Idlib province, thus the entire province is now under the control of Assad's opponents. Additionally, see: Following the fall of Aleppo, the Syrian army announced a 're-deployment operation'. Reuters, citing three other sources, reported that Syrian army forces have been ordered to conduct a 'safe retreat' from areas entered by Assad's opponents. Two sources affiliated with the Syrian government told Reuters that Russian and Assad's warplanes attacked rebel positions in the outskirts of Aleppo. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, stated on Friday, December 1, that Moscow considers the rebels' attack on Aleppo a 'violation of Syrian sovereignty' and calls for the restoration of 'legal order' in the attacked areas 'as soon as possible'. Meanwhile, Assad's opponents in Idlib province reported that airstrikes by Russian and Syrian warplanes on residential neighborhoods in this province resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to six others. Reuters, citing two Syrian military sources, reported that Russia has promised that military aid to Syria will arrive within the next 72 hours. Some Iranian state media, including the Kayhan newspaper, reported on Saturday the deaths of 'several' Islamic Republic forces in Syria during the clashes in Aleppo over the past 72 hours. These reports did not specify the number of casualties. Additionally, see: Kiomars Pourhashemi, a senior commander of the Quds Force, was killed in Syria. Previously, Iranian state news agencies reported the death of Kiomars Pourhashemi, a senior official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Aleppo, Syria. The Student News Agency, affiliated with the Basij Student Organization, identified Kiomars Pourhashemi as a 'Brigadier General' and 'Commander of Iranian Advisors', stating that he was killed in Aleppo, Syria. In the government literature of the Islamic Republic, the term 'military advisor' refers to members of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who engage in military activities outside Iran, including in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel 'Saberin News', affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported on Friday that Hezbollah and Islamic Republic forces are located in southern Aleppo and are fighting Assad's opponents. This comes as Mustafa Abdul Jabbar, a commander of one of the groups opposing Bashar al-Assad, told Reuters that the shortage of Iranian forces in the area aided the rapid advance of Assad's opponents in Aleppo. Iran-affiliated militia groups, especially Hezbollah, have suffered heavy losses from Israel in recent months. Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, claimed in a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart that the U.S. and Israel support the attacks of Assad's opponents in Aleppo. Reuters reported, citing sources opposing Assad, that Turkey, as the main supporter of the opponents of this government in Idlib and Aleppo provinces, has given the green light for the ongoing operations. This comes as the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that the clashes in northwest Syria have led to an 'undesirable' escalation of tensions. The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Ankara's priority is to prevent further instability in the region. He added that Turkey had previously warned that recent attacks against Assad's opponents in Idlib would undermine the spirit of implementing de-escalation agreements. Concurrently, as Syrian government and Islamic Republic forces retreated from Aleppo airport and the cities of Nubul and Zahra in northwest Aleppo, the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the Kurds, have established themselves in these areas and some neighborhoods of Aleppo. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 50,000 residents of Nubul and Zahra have sought refuge in the Kurdish neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh and several other neighborhoods in Aleppo, as well as in the provinces of Homs and Hama. The Syrian Democratic Forces have also taken control of Tal Aran, Tal Hasal, and some villages located in eastern Aleppo. Farhad Shami, a spokesperson for this U.S.-allied group in Syria, accused Turkey of 'step-by-step management' of the ongoing attacks in Aleppo, stating: 'We are closely monitoring these developments.'