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Scores of Iranian Fighters Are Dying in Syria, Iranian Media Reveal
(Washington Post) Hugh Naylor - An increasing number of Iranian soldiers and militiamen appear to be dying in Syria's civil war, Iranian media are reporting. At least 67 Iranians have been killed in Syria since the beginning of October. "They are proud of this and they want to show it," said Ali Alfoneh, an Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Phillip Smyth, a researcher on Shiite militant groups at the University of Maryland, said 2,000 Iranians or more could be deployed in Syria. And they appear to be increasingly involved in "direct combat" operations since Russia, another Syrian ally, began launching airstrikes at rebels in September, which could explain the rising death toll, Smyth said.