The Syrian Armed Forces Seven Years into the Conflict: From a Regular Army to Volunteer Corps

... followers of the Shiite jihad “pioneers” in Syria from the Iraqi forces – Liwa Abu Fadl al-Abbas and a conglomerate of Iraqi Shiite groups associated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq . Units that are directly subordinated to the Iranian command of Al-Quds also operate in Syria. These include, in particular, the Fatemiyoun Division recruited from Afghan Shiites (which number ... ... that are either directly connected to these groups or financed using Shiite funds. This is what forms the so-called “Syrian Hezbollah,” which includes National Ideological Resistance forces (local branches of the Lebanese Hezbollah) as well as the ...