Iran continues to consolidate its powers in Syrian territories as deployed military personnel on the ground rise, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Wednesday.

The number of volunteers recruited into Iran-loyal militias in Syria are now more than 18,000, according to the UK-based watchdog.

Israel meanwhile has been consistently attacking positions in southern Syria to force Iranian-supported to withdraw from the area.

Last week, Israel mounted a missile attack in at least five sites housing fighters from the Iran-backed militias and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, who fighting along Syrian government forces.

On January 13, at least 57 military personnel were killed in a series of Israeli offensives in eastern Syria, the highest toll from such attacks in the war-torn country, the Observatory reported at the time.

Source » arabnews