Senior Iranian commander killed in Syria

ANKARA

Daesh killed General Hossein Hamedani, a senior Iranian commander, in Syria’s Aleppo province late Thursday, a statement released by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said.

“General Hamedani, who advised the Syrian army, was killed in Aleppo yesterday evening,” the statement said.

The statement also said that the Iranian commander was killed by Daesh.

Hamedani was a deputy of Qasim Sulaimani, the head of the Quds Force. He was known for leading the Fatimiyyun and Zeynebiyyun brigades, sent to Syria by Iran to support the Assad regime and Hezbollah.

Syria has been gripped by bitter fighting since the Assad regime cracked down on anti-government protests, which began in 2011 as part of the “Arab Spring” uprisings.

According to the UN, more than 250,000 people have since been killed in the conflict, which continues to pit several heavily-armed factions – including Daesh and the regime itself – against one another.