Illustrative image, source: defapress.ir
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed a radar system in the southern countryside of Syria’s Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on August 1.
The radar was reportedly deployed in al-Mazar’a area in the outskirts of the town of al-Mayadin, where Iranian-backed forces maintain a large presence. The London-based monitoring group didn’t provide any information on the type of the radar.
Al-Mazar’a overlooks much of the southern Deir Ezzor countryside, as well as the eastern bank of the Euphrates River which is held by the Syrian Democratic Forces. The US maintains several bases on the eastern bank.
“Iranian military experts supervised the installation and operation of the radar within the area,” the SOHR quoted one of its sources in Deir Ezzor as saying.
The US and Israel have carried out airstrikes on Iranian-backed forces in southern Deir Ezzor on many occasions over the last few years.
The new radar was likely deployed by the IRGC to provide early warning, or as a part of secret preparations to deploy air-defense systems in southern Deir Ezzor. The Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces are not active in the region due to their limited resources.
