Terrorism

Hizbullah training Afghan fighters to operate drones in Syria

By Waleed Abu al-Khair

Lebanese Hizbullah specialists have trained the Afghan-comprised Fatemiyoun Division militia on operating the Ababil-3 drone, shown here in 2014. [Tasnim News]

Lebanese Hizbullah specialists have trained the Afghan-comprised Fatemiyoun Division militia on operating the Ababil-3 drone, shown here in 2014. [Tasnim News]

Lebanese Hizbullah specialists have been training members of the Afghan-comprised Fatemiyoun militia on operating drones in the Syrian Badiya (eastern desert), near Palmyra, observers say.

Hizbullah specialists were present at the al-Talila site near Palmyra to train Fatemiyoun Division members and carried out exercises after teaching them about drones, said media activist Ammar Saleh.

Hizbullah personnel have trained the elements on aircraft maintenance in hideouts created and formerly used by the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), he said.

The area in the Badiya region where the exercises took place was completely cordoned off at the time, and Syrian elements were prohibited from entering it, according to Saleh.

Elements of the IRGC-backed Afghan Fatemiyoun militia attend a religious ceremony on July 19. [Fatemiyoun Telegram channel]

Elements of the IRGC-backed Afghan Fatemiyoun militia attend a religious ceremony on July 19. [Fatemiyoun Telegram channel]

IRGC-backed Fatemiyoun militia elements are shown in the Syrian Badiya (eastern desert) near Palmyra in 2017. [Tasnim News]

IRGC-backed Fatemiyoun militia elements are shown in the Syrian Badiya (eastern desert) near Palmyra in 2017. [Tasnim News]

The training included teaching Fatemiyoun members to use the Ababil-3 drone and a smaller aircraft of an unknown model.

Iran-backed militias are trained in the Badiya region on a regular basis, causing livestock breeders and shepherds to flee the region in fear, Saleh said.

This intimidation, he noted, has altered the social and demographic landscape of the area, which is historically home to various tribes.

Hizbullah, Fatemiyoun expanding presence

The relationship between Hizbullah and the Fatemiyoun militia is very close, said Sheyar Turko, an analyst who focuses on militias affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"The party has previously brought in specialists to train Fatemiyoun elements on sniper operations, artillery shelling and the formation of special forces," he said.

The co-operation between Hizbullah and Fatemiyoun began in 2016 when the presence of the Afghan militia first became known in Syria, he said.

"The exclusive control these two groups have over Badiya raises many questions about the exclusion of other pro-IRGC militias, especially Syrians, from the region."

Hizbullah's influence in the Palmyra area has greatly expanded in light of Russian forces' withdrawal, Turko said. Now, Hizbullah and Fatemiyoun have the entire area under their control, have expanded their recruitment efforts, and have dozens of weapon depots and underground hideouts.

Hizbullah has the largest weapons depots in the Badiya region, with a very large arsenal of missiles and equipment for producing rockets and other weaponry, he added.

Syrian lawyer Bashir al-Bassam challenged the use of drones by IRGC-affiliated militias in Syria, adding that this practice "puts Syria and Syrians in a more difficult position".

"The question is, why equip these militia groups with drones?" he said.

The Iranian regime justifies the presence of its militia and its deployment of drones by citing alleged terrorist threats on the ground in Syria, but this is a false pretext, as no real terrorist threats exist on the ground, said al-Bassam.

Instead, he said, Iran's actions will expose Syria to additional international sanctions, as the IRGC's presence in the country and its use of drones create tensions.

The Hizbullah-Fatemiyoun actions in Syria are reminiscent of the Iran-backed Houthis' attacks launched on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Iranian missiles and drones.

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It seems that Iran will witness a significant change in a few days. Violent protests have now spread to almost all cities of Iran. Akhundi police and soldiers are now firing directly at the protesters. They shot dead two protestors in Kermanshah city yesterday. After the incident, the angry protestors attacked government buildings and set cars on fire, and the governor of Kermanshah and other government officials fled their homes and hid. The angriest protests are happening in Saqez city of Kurdistan, and the police and protesters have seriously injured each other. In Saqez, the army and the Iranian soldiers clashed and fired at each other; the army targeted the protestors face to face. In Iran, the government also filters Instagram and WhatsApp after Facebook and YouTube. Still, protesters use VPNs to broadcast their videos and news on Instagram and WhatsApp and send them to each other. Zahir Amar

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As I see and think, it comes to my mind that our mothers did not give birth to us to work for our country; instead, we have been given birth to become sacrificial lambs for others and bring benefits to others. This is a good example. According to you, Fatemiyoun is Afghan, but their benefits go to Iran, and the pain goes to Afghanistan. I am sure this news will hurt every educated Afghan like me, but there is no choice. We have always been involved in the war for the interests of others, and we have been used for others. And we always were used for others because we either don't understand or understand, but we don't make ourselves understand. May God have mercy on our Afghans. Wherever they go, pain and sorrow come to them.

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I think Iran wants to enforce Hezbollah's model in Afghanistan too. There is much news published on your website and in other media that Iran has accelerated equipping and training of the fighters of Fatemiyoun division. Assessing the killing of Shias and some Sunni clerics, I think Afghanistan will soon witness a religious war. For this purpose, Iran is also training Fatemiyoun fighters to send them to Afghanistan and use them as its proxies. Iran wants Fatemiyoun to follow the same role as Hezbollah in Lebanon. [In Iran's view], Fatemiyoun should also sacrifice Afghanistan for Iran's policies and interests as Hezbollah did Lebanon. The evil intentions of Iran are very clear from these vicious policies, and I ask the current government of Afghanistan to conclude the politics of supplication toward Iran, for Iran can never be trusted and can never be a good friend to Afghanistan.

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