Afghan Teen among Latest Killed in Iran's Syria War Effort

A 17-year-old Afghan was among almost 30 Iran-backed fighters killed in clashes in Syria since the end of November, according to Iranian media reports.

Teenager Mehdi Ahmadi, a member of the Fatemiyoun Brigade, was buried in Tehran on Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency said.

His death adds to a fast-rising casualty list that includes Pakistanis and Iranian volunteers.

The Fatemiyoun Brigade, named after Fatima the daughter of Prophet Mohammad, whose mausoleum near Damascus is venerated by Shiites, is backed by Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards in the Syrian war effort.

The Guards have provided military advisers to Syrian President Bashar Assad's army as well as training and organizing militias and fighters against Sunni rebel forces seeking to oust Assad.

The latest deaths bring to about 80 the number of Iranians, Afghans or Pakistanis killed in Syria and then buried in Tehran since the beginning of October.

The increased casualties reflect their greater role in frontline battles, according to Iranian commanders.

"Today we are fighting thousands of kilometers away for our defense," General Ali Jafari, commander of the Guards, said on Wednesday, according to the military's Sepah News service.

"The future of Islam and the world will be determined by the war in this part of western Asia," he said in a speech to families of fighters and Iranian volunteers killed in Syria.

Several generals, colonels and more junior commanders from the Guards have also been killed in Syria.