Eight Syrians working with IRGC knifed to death in Deir Ezzor – report

Eight Syrian fighters working with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were killed Tuesday in a knife attack on their position in eastern Syria’s Deir Ezzor province, a war monitor says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says “unidentified armed individuals” raided the position in the Syrian desert, in the second deadly attack on pro-Iran fighters in two days in the Mayadeen area.

The eight dead fighters “worked under the command” of Iran’s Guards and were “slaughtered” using knives, says Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria. It has been accused in the past of inflating death toll numbers.

Control of Deir Ezzor is split between US-backed Kurdish-led forces to the east of the Euphrates River and Iran-backed Syrian government forces and their proxies to the west, while Islamic State group jihadists are also active in the province.

On Monday, the Observatory said gunmen killed three Syrians who were also working with the Revolutionary Guards, in an attack on a military position on the outskirts of Mayadeen city.