Iranian Proxy Militia Opens New Recruitment Center in Aleppo, Syria

The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)
The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)
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Iranian Proxy Militia Opens New Recruitment Center in Aleppo, Syria

The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)
The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)

Syrian opposition media outlets are reporting that the Iranian proxy militia, Kataib al-Imam Ali, has opened a new recruitment center at the heart of the regime-run northern city of Aleppo.

Establishing the drafting center took place with consent from the Syrian regime, said local sources.

Javad al-Ghaffari, a prominent Iranian leader who is based in Aleppo, had met with officials at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus to discuss and approve the operation.

All those willing to join the militia, including army defectors and dodgers of compulsory military service, will be accepted, sources predicted. Regime forces will drop their pursuit of anyone drafted into the Iranian militia, even if they are ex-soldiers wanted for decamping or citizens accused of draft evasion.

For Syrian youth living under dire security and economic circumstances, the offer is very tempting.

Syria's opposition Eye of Euphrates news network published a report revealing the details of the terms and conditions involving registration in Kataib al-Imam Ali.

According to the report, enrolled fighters will receive a monthly salary of $200 if they were married, and $150 if they were single.

They will be deployed to outposts near their home addresses and have to log in 20 days of service each month.

Iran has sought strengthening the presence of its proxies in Syria against the backdrop of a Russian orientation to downsize the role played by Iran-backed militias in war-torn country.

It is worth noting that Iran has trained about 70,000 fighters that formed 128 regiments in Syria.

Russia, after intervening in Syria in 2015, sought to weaken Iran-aligned guerrillas by reinforcing regime forces and forming army divisions for local volunteers.

Iran, however, pushed forward with its recruitment agenda in Syria, forming militias that included foreign mercenaries, members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and fighters from the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia.



Woman Protests against Israel at a Campaign Event in Germany

People protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people interrupt German Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during an SPD election campaign event for the 2025 federal elections in Bielefeld, Germany, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
People protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people interrupt German Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during an SPD election campaign event for the 2025 federal elections in Bielefeld, Germany, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
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Woman Protests against Israel at a Campaign Event in Germany

People protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people interrupt German Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during an SPD election campaign event for the 2025 federal elections in Bielefeld, Germany, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
People protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people interrupt German Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during an SPD election campaign event for the 2025 federal elections in Bielefeld, Germany, 13 January 2025. (EPA)

A woman protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza has briefly disrupted an election campaign event by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, standing up and smearing her face and hood with a blood-colored substance.

Germany is a staunch ally of Israel. Scholz responded to the disruption on Monday by saying: “The answer is that it was a terrible terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens over a year ago. It is right that the state of Israel can defend itself against this attack.”

He said that Germany has always been clear in its support for a two-state solution and that international law must be adhered to.

The woman was escorted out of the hall in the western city of Bielefeld, shouting “genocide,” “Free Palestine” and “Over 200 dead journalists.”

Potential obstacles to a Israel-Hamas agreement Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks for more than a year aimed at ending the war in Gaza and returning scores of militant-held hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

There has been intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

But the talks have repeatedly stalled over several key issues. They include details of the exchange, whether the ceasefire would be permanent and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The war has ground on as each side has accused the other of backtracking.