Iranian regime clones its militias in Afghanistan

Eslam Mohamed

In a new attempt by the Iranian regime to reproduce its militia experiences in Afghanistan, it has established an armed militia in Kabul under the name Shiite Mobilization Forces under the pretext of fighting extremist movements, and that militia appeared in the neighborhoods in which Shiites live in the capital.

This new organization is the second Afghan faction supported by Tehran, following the Fatemiyoun Brigade, which enjoys great financial and military support from the Quds Force and whose numbers are estimated at about 30,000, many of whom have been participating in the Syrian war for several years.

Big fears among Afghans

These organizations have raised great fears among the Afghans, but Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tried to defend these militias, saying in an interview with an Afghan TV channel that the number of the brigade’s fighters does not exceed 5,000 and that it acts as a supportive force for the Afghan forces to confront ISIS.

The strange thing is that Tehran’s arming and support for Shiite groups in Kabul is taking place at the same time as it deliberately extends its hand to the Taliban by launching public initiatives towards the Sunni movement, as it announced hosting rounds of talks between the Taliban and an Afghan government delegation as part of what it considers mediation efforts for political reconciliation between Kabul and the Taliban.

The positions of the two parties were also remarkable in expressing their respect for the common borders between them after the Taliban took control of the most important crossing between the two countries, known as Islam Qala.

Afghans in the Syrian war

According to a study prepared by the Jusoor Center for Studies issued in January, Tehran owns 131 military sites between a base and a point of presence in ten Syrian governorates, 38 of which are in Daraa, 27 in Damascus and its countryside, 15 in Aleppo, 13 in Deir Ezzor, 12 in Homs, 6 in Hama, 6 in Latakia, 5 in Suwayda, 5 in Quneitra, and 4 in Idlib.

Many members of the Fatemiyoun militia were lost in the war in Syria, and a number of its leaders were killed, the last of whom was Sayed Ahmad Qureshi, one of the most prominent leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and one of the founders of the Fatemiyoun Brigade. It is believed that he was killed as a result of being wounded in recent Israeli stikes.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, admitted the killing of the Fatemiyoun leader in Syria, but attributed the cause to his injury during the Iran-Iraq war that ended 33 years ago.

It is not known exactly how many Afghans killed in the war in Syria, and there are many families who still do not know the fate of their children or the place of burial of the dead among them, leaving them in a state of permanent mourning and angry about what happened to their children; however, they have no means to file a lawsuit in this regard.

There are many rumors about Afghan militia members who are still in the service of the Revolutionary Guards and are currently living in various cities in Afghanistan and hiding from public view due to their previous associations with the Iranian security services.