PHOTO: IRNA
TEHRAN: A retired Iranian general has been killed while battling militants as a volunteer in northern Syria, Iranian media reported on Wednesday.
Ahmad Gholami, who had served as a senior Revolutionary Guards commander in the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s, died on Tuesday "while fighting the takfiri terrorists in Aleppo, Syria," said the Fars news agency, which is close to the Guards.
Iran deploys long-range missiles to Fordo nuclear site
Iran uses the term "takfiri" to describe Sunni 'jihadists'.
Gholami went to Iraq and Syria "voluntarily" to fight Islamic State group, it added.
Iran is the principle backer of President Bashar al-Assad. It denies that any of its professional soldiers are active in Syria -- insisting its commanders and generals act purely as "military advisers" -- but it also leads large volunteer forces, comprised of fighters from both Iran and neighbouring Afghanistan.
Iran arrests nuclear negotiator suspected of spying
Iran does not provide precise casualty figures for those killed in action in Syria and Iraq, but Iranian media have previously reported "hundreds" of military advisers and volunteers have died in recent years.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ