Syrian Rebels Demand Exchange of Iranian for Women Prisoners in Syria

A group of armed opposition fighters against Bashar al-Assad's government has called for the exchange of an Iranian soldier captured by them for several women currently imprisoned by the Assad regime. Reuters reported on Monday, February 1, that this Iranian soldier was captured last month in the Daraa province. According to the report, the Shiite Islamic Republic has sent military experts to Syria to assist the Assad government during the four years of the civil war, which has seen Assad, Tehran's main ally, embroiled in conflict. Last month, several rebel groups, including the United Front of the Levant, launched a series of attacks in Daraa province, resulting in the capture of several military posts, including a strategic military base in the Sheikh Miskin area. Abu Ahmad, the leader of the United Front of the Levant, stated that during this operation, an Iranian soldier assisting Assad's forces was captured, and nine other soldiers were killed. He mentioned, 'We asked him questions through a translator; he is 30 years old and came to Syria from Qom last year.' This rebel commander did not disclose the real name of the individual. According to him, the group's current priority is to initiate negotiations for the exchange of this Iranian for several women currently in Assad's prisons. Reuters notes that it is unable to independently verify this news. The report adds that Assad's opponents have consistently demanded the release of 'thousands' of women who they claim have been detained by Assad's forces since 2011. The United Front of the Levant is one of the main branches of the 'Southern Front Alliance,' which is fighting against Assad's forces at the Jordanian borders. Last year, Syrian rebels freed 48 Iranians in exchange for the release of 2,000 civilians detained by Assad's forces. Assad's opponents accuse him of detaining tens of thousands of civilians. The report further states that several senior retired Iranian military personnel from the Quds Force have been killed in Syria. Recently, a brigadier general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps named Mohammad Ali Allah Dadi was killed along with six members of Hezbollah in an Israeli airstrike in the Golan Heights. In this context, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack on an Israeli military convoy. Iran sent a message to the U.S.: 'Israel has crossed our red lines.' Netanyahu held Iran responsible for Hezbollah's attack on the Israeli military convoy. Qassem Soleimani met with Hassan Nasrallah following the death of a Revolutionary Guard commander. The changing battlefield of 'proxy wars'; the war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the potential radicalization of Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. Two weeks after a complete blackout, the time for reconnecting the internet in Iran is still 'uncertain.' The shadow of war over Tehran; 'Trump is seeking decisive military options against Iran.' Trump stated that if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, it will be 'wiped off the face of the earth.' A senior U.S. official: the Trump administration is closely monitoring the case of Reza Valizadeh. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis.