Iran acknowledges troops in Syria, warns of retaliation if attacked

Sunday, 16 September 2012 

General Mohammad Ali Jafari, head of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, acknowledges that Iranian troops are in Syrian. (Reuters)

By Al Arabiya with agencies
 

Members of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are in Syria providing non-military assistance and Iran may get involved militarily if Syria comes under attack, Reuters cited its commander as saying on Sunday.

The statement is the first official acknowledgement from a senior military commander that Iran has a military presence on the ground in Syria where an uprising has left tens of thousands dead since it began 18 months ago.

Western countries and Syrian opposition groups have accused Iran of providing weapons and expertise to Syrian armed forces and have suspected an Iranian military presence inside the country. Iran has denied this.

Iran acknowledges troops in Syria, warns of retaliation if attacked