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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5042133,00.html
Iran Building "Syrian Hizbullah" near Israel
(Ynet News) Dr. Yaron Friedman - Iran is quietly recruiting young Syrians to establish a militia battalion just 30 km. from the Israeli border. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have set up headquarters in Izra in the Daraa Governorate to recruit Shiite and possibly other members of pro-Iranian minority groups for the 313th Brigade. 313 is the number of fighters that will arrive with the Mahdi, the Shiite messiah. The sense of victory among the Shiite militias supporting the Iraqi and Syrian armies against Islamic State has created a sense of euphoria and an expectation for the arrival of the messiah in Shiite religious circles. Iran is leveraging the Shiite revival for a battle against "the Zionist enemy." According to reports from locals, the new recruits, currently numbering 200, are well-equipped and are trained by Revolutionary Guards officers, assisted by Hizbullah operatives. This is the first time Iran is directly recruiting Syrian citizens. Up until now, the Iranian militias were made up of foreigners from Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan.