The Bodies of 12 Killed Mazandaran Forces 'Are in the Hands of Assad's Opponents'

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) states that the bodies of 12 members of the Khorasan Brigade of Mazandaran, who were killed in Syria last week, are in the possession of opponents of Bashar al-Assad, whom they refer to as 'Takfiris.' Hossein Ali Rezaei, the deputy for public relations and propaganda of the Khorasan Brigade of Mazandaran, announced this news in an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Tuesday, May 21, stating, 'All the defenders of the shrine from the 25th Brigade of Khorasan have returned to Iran.' According to Iranian media reports, 13 IRGC advisors were killed during the battles in Khan Tuman in the southwest of Aleppo. This marks the largest loss for the IRGC in Syria in a single day. Rezaei also mentioned that '9 of the wounded from the Khan Tuman battle have returned to the country, with four of them going home and five others receiving treatment at Baqiatollah Hospital in Tehran.' He did not provide details on the severity of the injuries of these wounded. He added that 'the remaining wounded are also on their way back to the country.' ISNA reported that the deputy for public relations and propaganda of the Khorasan Brigade stated that due to ongoing clashes in these areas of Syria, access to the bodies of the deceased is not possible, and access will be granted once these areas are liberated. Syrian government forces and their allies, including Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, expelled rebel forces from Khan Tuman last December, but last Friday, al-Nusra Front, affiliated with al-Qaeda, reoccupied the area. During these clashes, dozens from both sides were killed. Ismail Kowsari, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated on Tuesday that five or six Iranian military personnel have been captured in the battles in Syria. None of the political or military officials in Iran have confirmed this news so far. Fars News Agency also confirmed the death of Shafi Shafiei, a commander of the Quds Force, in the battles of Khan Tuman last Friday. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday in Kerman praised the efforts of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, which is the operational arm of the IRGC outside the country. According to ISNA, Rouhani stated, 'The IRGC has always been at the forefront of solving the country's problems. Today, the IRGC not only bears the burden of protecting the country's security but also shoulders the responsibility for the security of other countries that request our assistance.' The Islamic Republic's president also added, 'The IRGC is present to defend the holy shrines in Iraq and Syria and to protect the oppressed in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq, and we wish for more glory for the brave IRGC and the heroic Basij in all fields of jihad and resistance.' Iranian officials claim that Iranian forces in Syria are only advisory, but in recent months, the number of Iranian casualties in operational scenes in Syria has significantly increased.