Tehran, Iran — A basic of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been killed whereas "on a mission" in Syria, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.
"Basic Abolfazl Alijani, a member of the IRGC's floor forces who was on a mission in Syria as a army adviser, was martyred on Sunday," the state broadcaster mentioned on its web site.
It described Alijani as a "defender of the sanctuary", a time period used for individuals who work on behalf of Iran in Syria or Iraq, with out offering extra particulars of the assault through which he was killed.
Iran says it has deployed its forces in Syria on the invitation of Damascus and solely as advisers.
In early August, funeral processions had been held in Tehran and different Iranian cities for 5 IRGC members killed in Syria a number of years in the past, after their our bodies had been recovered and recognized by DNA testing, Iranian media reported.
In March, the Guards mentioned an Israeli assault in Syria had killed two of its officers, warning that Israel would "pay for the crime."
Israel has carried out tons of of airstrikes inside Syria lately, focusing on authorities positions in addition to allied Iran-backed forces and fighters of Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
Whereas Israel hardly ever feedback on particular person strikes, it has acknowledged mounting tons of of them since 2011.
The Israeli army has defended them as needed to forestall its arch-foe Iran from gaining a foothold on its doorstep.
Iran and Israel have been engaged in a years-long shadow battle, with the Islamic republic accusing its "sworn-enemy" of finishing up sabotage assaults towards its nuclear websites and assassinations of key figures, together with scientists.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is the ideological arm of the Iranian army and is blacklisted as a terrorist group by america.