Following the embarrassing arrest of 48 Iranian regime elements by the Free Syrian Army near Damascus, at least 14 have been identified as senior IRGC commanders from brigadier generals to colonels.
Some of the names of those arrested by the FSA are as follows:
Brigadier General Abedin Khoram – Commander of the Martyrs’ Corps in Western Azerbaijan Province (Urumiyeh); mullah Karim Hossein Khani, head of the Mullah Bassij branch in Azerbaijan and former head of Khamenei’s branch office in this corps; Colonel Yousef Akbari, deputy commander of security in the Martyrs’ Corps in Western Azerbaijan Province; Colonel Hossein Nouri, commander of artillery; Colonel Taleb Rahim, commander of IRGC units in Miyandoab region; Colonel Gholamreza Kobraii, a commander in the Martyrs’ Corps; Colonel Mohsen Ranji, a commander in Fort Hamze located in Western Azerbaijan Province; Colonel Jafar Parval, a commander in Fort Hamze; and Karim Birami, commander of the IRGC battalion stationed in the town of Salmas.
Credible reports also indicate that under orders issued by the IRGC high commander, a large number of its members from all over Iran have been dispatched to Syria and the recently arrested group of 48 are the fourth dispatch to this country.
These IRGC members are sent to Syria as pilgrims without arms, being armed after their arrival. They are sent to Tehran before going to Syria, briefed and receive their necessary orders. Following these measures they are dispatched to Syria in groups in order to assist the Syrian dictatorship and participate in the suppression of popular uprisings.