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Iranian militias recently formed groups in Deir Ezzor under the name of “villages guards”. Each group consists of 8 members at least, including the sheikh of the tribe “Wajih”, the village’s mukhtar, and a mosque employee “imam, muezzin or servant of the mosque”, who should be registered in the Awqaf Directorate, in addition to a teacher and four persons to guard the headquarters of the “villages guards”. Russia ordered raising Assad regime flag on the headquarters and prevented the raising of any other sectarian flag.
The members of the groups would be given Iranian cards similar to those given to local members of the Revolutionary Guard militia to facilitate their movements through military checkpoints, salaries of 35,000 Syrian pounds distributed by the financial officer of the Nasr headquarters in Harabish neighborhood of Deir Ezzor city, and small food parcels.
Through these formations, Iranian militias aim to weaken Russia’s influence in the region and convert people to Iran’s brand of Shi’ism by maintaining tribal, religious and cultural communication. Such groups do not have specific work time or military missions.