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.



Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 3,085 as More Bodies Found

People look at the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda following an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, 28 March 2025 (issued 29 March 2025). EPA/STRINGER
People look at the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda following an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, 28 March 2025 (issued 29 March 2025). EPA/STRINGER
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Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 3,085 as More Bodies Found

People look at the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda following an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, 28 March 2025 (issued 29 March 2025). EPA/STRINGER
People look at the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda following an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, 28 March 2025 (issued 29 March 2025). EPA/STRINGER

The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago rose Thursday to 3,085 as search and rescue teams found more bodies, the military-led government said, and humanitarian aid groups scrambled to provide survivors medical care and shelter.
In a short statement, the military said another 4,715 people have been injured and 341 are missing.
The epicenter of Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake was near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions, The Associated Press said.
Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures and with telecommunications widely out and many places difficult to reach, it's thought the numbers could rise sharply as more details come in.
The World Health Organization said that according to its initial assessment, four hospitals and one health center had been completely destroyed while another 32 hospitals and 18 health centers had been partially damaged.
“With infrastructure compromised and patient numbers surging, access to health care has become nearly impossible in many of the worst-hit areas,” the UN said. “Thousands of people are in urgent need of trauma care, surgical interventions and treatment for disease outbreaks.”
A mobile hospital from India and a joint Russian-Belarusian hospital also were now operating in Mandalay.
With many left homeless by the earthquake, and many others staying away from their homes over fears ongoing aftershocks will bring them down, workers in Naypyitaw labored in the 40 degree Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) busily erected big tents in open fields to provide some shelter.
In Mandalay, local residents gave slices of watermelon to Chinese volunteers taking a break from the heat.
More than 1,550 international rescuers were operating alongside locals on Thursday, according to a statement from the military. Rescue supplies and equipment have been sent by 17 countries.
Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war.
The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3 million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.
As concerns grew that ongoing fighting could hamper humanitarian aid efforts, the military declared a temporary ceasefire Wednesday, through April 22. The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule.
The military said it would still take “necessary” measures against those groups if they use the ceasefire to regroup, train or launch attacks.
Already on Thursday there were reports from local media in Kachin state in the north of Myanmar that military attacks continued in several areas, but they could not be independently confirmed.
Prior to the earthquake the military was battling the Kachin Independence Army group. The KIA on Wednesday also declared a ceasefire but reserved the right to defend itself. It was unclear how the reported fighting broke out.
The earthquake shook Kachin, but there have been no reports of damage there.
In Bangkok, where the quake brought down a skyscraper under construction, the search for survivors and bodies continued as Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said a possible sound of life was detected in the rubble. By near day's end, however, nobody was found.
Twenty-two people were killed and 35 injured in the city, mostly by the collapse of the unfinished building.