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IRGC commander leaves Iraq for Syria amid escalating conflicts

Xinhua, June 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has left Iraq for Syria as the conflicts in Syria heat up, a local news agency reported on Monday.

"Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani rushed to Syria to oversee Resistance operations as the fight with terrorists takes a violent turn in recent days," semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Soleimani departed for Syria to join his fellow warriors in the suburbs of Aleppo on Sunday, the report said.

During the recent liberation operation of the Islamic State (IS)-held city of Fallujah in Iraq, Soleimani was providing military advice to the Iraqi armed forces, the report added.

The Quds Force, also known as Qods, is a special unit of Iran's IRGC responsible for "extraterritorial" missions of the Corps.

Iran, a major regional ally of the Syrian and Iraqi governments in their fight against the militant groups, has repeatedly announced the presence of its military advisors in both countries. Endit