Members of the Fatemiyoun Brigade, a paramilitary group composed of Afghan Shia fighters and affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a military parade in the streets of Tehran yesterday.
According to sources, the parade was held to demonstrate the group’s operational capabilities and to declare their support for the Islamic Republic of Iran. It included the movement of military units and light equipment.
The Fatemiyoun Brigade, also known as “Liwa Fatemiyoun,” was formed in the early 2010s and was organized by the IRGC to mobilize Afghan Shia volunteers to fight in the Syrian war against groups opposing Bashar al-Assad. Initially, the group had only a small presence but gradually grew into a brigade.
The members of this organization are primarily Afghan Shia migrants, particularly from the Hazara ethnic group, who had been living in Iran or Syria. The group’s activities in the Syrian war have been supported by, trained, and equipped by the IRGC’s Quds Force, and they have fought against armed groups opposed to the Syrian government in various regions of the country.
According to reports, the Fatemiyoun Brigade has participated in numerous battles in Syria in recent years, with thousands of fighters involved in these conflicts. Many members of this group have been killed or wounded during the fighting.
On the international level, including by the United States, this group is listed as a sanctioned entity, and some regional countries have accused it of interfering in internal affairs and increasing sectarian tensions in the Middle East.
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