Photos: Iran's daily mourning of militants killed in Syria

(Zaman Al Wasl- Photos)- Iran daily mourning of militants killed in Syria

"Iran sees the survival of the Syrian government as being crucial to its interest. Its only consistent ally since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Syria provides a crucial thoroughfare to Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Iranian leaders have cited Syria as being Iran's "35th province", with Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority led government being a crucial buffer against the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Iran has stepped up support on the ground for Syrian President Assad, providing hundreds more military specialists to gather intelligence and train troops. This further backing from Tehran, along with deliveries of munitions and equipment from Moscow, is helping to keep Assad in power. This surge of support was in part a decision strongly promoted by Qasem Suleimani, the head of the Quds force, to exploit the outbreak of infighting between rebel fighters and the al-Qaeda inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Sham(ISIS). 

Former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander said Iranian forces, said that "top Quds force commanders were tasked with advising and training Assad's military and his commanders", adding that "Revolutionary Guards directed the fighting on the instructions of the Quds Force commanders". In addition there are thousands of Iranian paramilitary Basij volunteer fighters as well as Shi'ites from Iraq. Former Iranian official and a Syrian opposition source also put the count of those auxiliary forces in the thousands.

A Syrian opposition source said in recent months Iranian led forces had begun operating in coastal areas including Tartous and Latakia and in southern provinces of Daraa and Quneitra. They have local ID cards, wear Syrian military fatigues and work with the elite Syrian air force intelligence unit." (Wikipedia)