In the past 3 weeks, at least 35 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have been killed in Syria. Asharq al-Owsat daily revealed that some IRGC commanders refused to go to war in Syria and were referred to the military court.
On November 7, Marshregh website announced that since the beginning of holy month of Muharram (October 15), at least 33 IRGC members have been killed in Syria.
According to state-run Fars news agency on November 5, the vehicle of two members of IRGC has been hit by rockets of Syrian Free Army near Aleppo and both of them were killed. Ghadir Sarlak who was killed by the rocket was from IRGC’s Prophet Mohammad forces.
In addition, Fars news agency reported on Wednesday that three other members of the IRGC have been killed in Syria. Two of them were commanders of IRGC’s Fatimid Corps and the third one was a member of the IRGC Artillery Corps.
Therefore, during 23 days of the month of Muharram (Oct. 15 to Nov. 7) at least 36 members of the IRGC have been killed in Syria.
On November 4, 2015, Asharq al-Owsat daily based in London wrote: “Regarding Iran’s casualties in Syria, an informed source revealed in an interview with Asharq al-Owsat that some IRGC commanders who refused to go to war in Syria were referred to the military court. The IRGC’s decision came after offering its commanders a choice of being expelled and deprived of all government jobs or going on a mission in Syria, the source said.
Rising number of those who are breaking away from the IRGC, in particular those who joined IRGC with economic incentives to escape unemployment, has prompted the IRGC to revise its contract and force its cadres to either obey the commandments of their commanders in Syria or go to the military courts.
The source added that some IRGC commanders in Ahwaz who crossed the retirement age, have resorted to retirement as a solution and are engaged in economic activity.
“The killing of a large number of ‘IRGC’s Quds Force members’ as well as IRGC’s ground force ‘Special Forces and Commandos’ has ultimately prompted the IRGC command to use the administrative officers for military missions,” Asharq al-Owsat added.