Eurasia Press & News
Reliable sources have informed SOHR that Russian forces meet, on the tenth of this month, with the elders and sheikhs of Arab tribes in the city of al-Qamishli, in coordination with the Syrian regime. The meeting was attended by the head of the tribe of Bani Sab’a and other Arab tribal sheikhs in al-Qamishli and Al-Hasakeh, and a person known by his initial as (A.M.) member of parliament of the regime government.
According to Syrian Observatory sources, the Russian general who chaired the meeting asked the attendees to form military forces from these tribes, directly supported by the Russian side, with the main objective of which is to counter the Iranian expansion in the region, as Iran recruited hundreds of people in al-Qamishli and al-Hasaka, in addition to weakening the SDF.
The Russian demands focused on the need to withdraw Arab tribesmen from the ranks of SDF. A recruitment centre was opened in the village of Jarmaz located in the countryside of al-Qamishli in the Syrian regime-held areas. One of the goals of the new formation will be to counter the American influence in NE region of Syria.
On February 14, SOHR sources said that Iran continued strengthening its presence in Syrian territory, consolidating its influence in regime-controlled areas, by recruiting pro-regime militiamen and civilians into pro-Iranian militias.
SOHR sources have reported that the Iranian expansion has reached the cities of al-Qamishli and al-Hasaka, as the pro-Iranian “Fatimiyoun Brigade” militia recruited members of the National Defense and civilians into its militias in regime-controlled areas, in return for monthly salaries of about 350,000 Syrian pounds per member.
The militia started recruitment operations in the area at a time when regime-controlled areas were besieged by “Asayish” in mid-January.
Meanwhile, the militia has recruited more than 205 National Defence members and some 35 civilians so far. The militia in al-Qamishli and al-Hasaka is supervised by a person named “Hajj Ali” of Iranian nationality.
The new recruits were transferred to what is known as “Tartab Regiment”, south of al-Qamishli in order to undergo training and then will be transferred to the western Euphrates region.
It is worth noting that the National Defense members were receiving a monthly salary from the regime estimated at 50,000 Syrian pounds, which means that the new salary will be about six times higher, as part of the financial incentives offered by Iran in return for the recruitment of men and young people, especially in light of poor living conditions.
Syrian Observatory sources added that these recruitment operations were met with resentment from the Russian side, as Iran competed with the Russian for influence in al-Qamishli and al-Hasaka.
Moreover, the National Defense command acted two days ago as well regarding these recruitment operations, appointing a member of the People’s Assembly, known as (H.A.), as commander of National Defence in al-Hasakeh province, after a significant decline in the numbers of ND members. Where the National Defence members in al-Qamishli and al-Hasakeh were about 800, of whom only 300 remained after hundreds of them left the militia and joined the “Asayish” previously and the “Fatimiyoun Brigade” recently.
