By Anas al-Bar | 2023-10-18

Iran-aligned militias have built out and extended a network of tunnels carved out by the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) and are using them to store and transport weapons and fighters into Syria from Iraq, Syrian sources said.

There are at least 40 tunnels, by some accounts, some of which were dug out by ISIS when it controlled the border towns between 2014 and 2019.

But over the past three years, the majority of the tunnels in current use were either expanded or built from scratch by the Iran-aligned militias.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, most of the former ISIS tunnels the Iran-aligned militias are using are in the vicinity of the Deir Ezzor province city of al-Mayadeen, in Qalaat al-Rahba, al-Mazare and Sheikh Anas.

The tunnels are connected to each other, forming a network of narrow underground passages. The new ones are less rudimentary than the ISIS tunnels and have been constructed to a higher standard.

Some are equipped with surveillance equipment to secure the passage of weapons, contraband and even important leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Arms and mercenary smuggling

IRGC-affiliated groups began using existing tunnels and digging new ones after "the exposure of the arms and mercenary smuggling operations into Syrian territory from Iraq," said Council of Syrian Tribes and Clans spokesman Sheikh Mudar al-Asaad.

Smuggling operations "began early in 2011 to help the Bashar al-Assad regime hang on to power and suppress the popular revolution," he told Al-Fassel, Pishtaz's affiliate website.

The use of tunnels is "an attempt by Iran and its proxies to evade the international coalition's intensive aerial surveillance and the constant targeting of smuggled weapon shipments through unofficial border crossings," he said.

These unofficial crossings are most prevalent in the area that extends from the north side of the Euphrates River in the Syrian border town of Albu Kamal to the tri-border area shared by Syria, Iraq and Jordan, he said.

The militias have dug a large number of trenches and tunnels in the border area, some of which are more than 20-25km long, he added.

"These tunnels are not only used to bring in weapons and fighters but also could be used as storage space to hide missiles, weapon shipments and drone parts," he said, noting that "all of them are on Syrian territory."

Digging a new tunnel network

The Eye of the Euphrates network, which tracks the activities of Iranian militias, said it had observed digging operations at the beginning of this year to build a new tunnel network in the border areas.

Excavation work was under way at two locations: near the Syrian border town of al-Hari in the vicinity of Albu Kamal, and in Iraq's al-Tanak district, south of the border town of al-Qaim, the report said.

Albu Kamal and its hinterland are a notorious stronghold for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, notably Kataib Hizbullah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat al-Nujaba.

The Fatemiyoun Division, a militia comprised of Afghan fighters controlled by the IRGC, also has a presence in the area.

These groups operate an unofficial crossing in the area known as al-Hari or al-Sikka, which is used to smuggle weapons, narcotics and various goods.

The excavation site on the Iraqi side of the border is being used as militia headquarters and weapon depots, according to Eye of the Euphrates.

Other sources report that the militias are using Iranian engineers and technicians specialized in digging and tunnel building, with work involving the use of heavy machinery and often taking place at night.

Earlier media reports said the network of tunnels dug by the militias is concentrated around al-Qaim, extending to Albu Kamal on the Syrian side.

The tunnels range in length from 3-12km and are about 6 meters wide, which allows the passage of vehicles laden with weapons.

IRGC, Hizbullah supervision

A number of these tunnels, which are supervised by IRGC commanders and the leaders of Iran-aligned Iraqi militias and Lebanese Hizbullah, are equipped with cameras and alarm systems to secure the movement of important figures.

"The weapons that these militias smuggle into Syria through tunnels and crossings are used to kill Syrians and protect the al-Assad regime," al-Asaad said.

Iranian supplies of weapons and militiamen constitute a "real violation of international and humanitarian law," he added.

Al-Asaad called on the tribes, the Iraqi government and the international coalition "to prevent militia elements from crossing the border and bringing in missiles and Iranian weapons into Syria."

These illicit activities are "endangering the lives of residents and threatening the security of the border strip," he said.