Several More IRGC Members Killed in Syria

With the death of six more Iranians, including a 20-year-old named Mostafa Mousavi, the number of Iranian forces killed in Syria during a new Quds Force operation against Bashar al-Assad's opponents has exceeded 50. According to the Fars news agency, Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi, Behzad Sifi, and Setar Abbasi, three Iranian forces, were killed on Tuesday, November 17. Some local media have identified Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi as a commander of the IRGC in the Falavarjan district of Isfahan province. Reports indicate that Behzad Sifi was a second lieutenant in the 56th Artillery Group of the IRGC in Fars province, and Setar Abbasi was from this organization in Kermanshah province. On the same day, Iranian media reported that Mohammad Javad Ghorbani, a second lieutenant of the IRGC, and Iman Khazaeinajad, from this organization in Fars province, were also killed in Syria. On the same day, the body of Mostafa Mousavi, one of the Iranian forces killed in Syria, was buried in Tehran. Iranian media referred to Mostafa Mousavi as the 'youngest martyr defending the shrine,' stating that he was only 20 years old. Following the 'Ashura Operation' against Bashar al-Assad's opponents, the number of Iranian forces killed in Syria has significantly increased, while Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, stated on November 10 that fewer than 50 Iranians had been killed in these clashes. The 'Ashura Operation' began at the beginning of the month of Muharram, supported by Russian air forces, by the Syrian army, IRGC units, and Hezbollah to reclaim the city of Aleppo in Syria. Among those who lost their lives during this operation are Ali Tamanzadeh, Ismail Siratnia, Hossein Jamali, Ezzatollah Soleimani, Ismail Zahedpour, Mohsen Fanousi, Qadir Sarlak, Rouhollah Ghorbani, Moslem Nasr, Khanali Yousofi, Moslem Khizab, Mehdi Alidoost, Abdollah Bagheri, Milad Mostafavi, Sajjad Tahernia, Rouhollah Emadi, Amin Karimi, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Ahmad Estahkami, Nader Hamid Deilami, Majid Sanaei Mofagh, Mojtaba Karami, and Reza Damrudi. Meanwhile, the local newspaper 'Isfahan Ziba' reported that 'with the increase in the presence of Iranian advisory forces in Syria in recent months, the number of Isfahani martyrs defending the shrine has also increased, and this province, with nearly 50 martyrs, has the highest number of martyrs after Khorasan Razavi and Qom.' The state news agency IRNA had previously reported that out of approximately 400 martyrs defending the shrine of Hazrat Zainab, who had been buried in various parts of the country until that time, 79 were buried in Khorasan Razavi. In this context, three more members of the IRGC were killed in Syria, and Iran also reported the burial of five Afghans and two Pakistanis who were killed in Syria. The IRGC denied the killing of Qassem Soleimani in Syria.