Iranian militias take advantage of poverty in Syria and recruit women into its military factions

HMOTH, Syria — As the economic conditions in Syria remain dire, Syrians living in areas controlled by the regime of Bashar al-Assad exist in miserable conditions due to low salaries, declining in sales and purchases, trade restrictions imposed by the regime, and the virtual monopoly in some sectors by senior regime officials.

This prompted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in collusion with Syrian regime forces, to exploit the poor conditions of Syrians in regime territory, especially women, and recruit them into military factions in return for small sums of money.

Local media reported that the pro-Iranian Iraqi Al-Nujaba Militia conducted a military training course for women between 18 and 30 years of age in the town of Al-Furqlus, east of Hmoth (Homs), with the aim of forming a women’s military battalion.

According to the sources, the women participating in the course will be given military training on small arms, including machine guns, knives, and hand grenades, and how to deal with aerial bombardment.

The IRGC has repeatedly sought to exploit the Syrian war to achieve its interests and expand influence, taking advantage of Syrians’ financial need to recruit them into the ranks of its armed factions.