Iran’s ‘Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) has reportedly arrested a number of its own personnel, along with Afghan, Pakistani and other members of its affiliated proxy militias in Syria, for treason on charges of “communicating with foreign parties”.

Independent news agency Syria TV reported that IRGC members and militiamen were arrested in the early hours of Thursday (December 3, 2020) in Albu Kamal in Deir Ezzor governorate, on the Syrian-Iraqi border; the city is currently controlled by Iranian regime forces and affiliated militias.

A source in the town told Syria TV that IRGC members raided the headquarters and homes of members of four of their affiliated militias, detaining them on charges of “communicating with external parties.”

The source said that a Syrian volunteer with the IRGC was among those detained, along with other militia members of Iranian, Pakistani and Afghan nationalities, adding that they were taken from locations in the city’s Jamiat neighbourhood and in the ‘Afghan Square’ next to the Othman bin Affan Mosque.

Those detained, who were transferred to one of the buildings used as headquarters for the IRGC’s security forces near the Haggana barracks, face interrogation on charges of ‘treason’ over their communications with “foreign parties”, the source reported.

The IRGC previously arrested a number of its members in the city over accusations of theft.

The IRGC, the main Iranian regime military force operating in Albu Kamal and the rest of Syria where it oversees and provides military support for many of the Assad regime army’s operations, now effectively controls Albu Kamal and the surrounding area supported by a network of proxy militias, including Hezbollah, the Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade and the Pakistani Zeinabiyoun Brigade. Since 2017, Iran’s leadership tasked several senior IRGC officials with governing the city.

Original Syria TV report (in Arabic): https://www.syria.tv/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D...

Photo from: Syria TV