Iran building permanent military base in Syria – claim

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 11, ARTSAKHPRESS:The Iranian military is said to have established a compound at a site used by the Syrian army outside El-Kiswah, 14 km (8 miles) south of Damascus.

The report comes amid growing tensions over Iranian influence in Syria and across the region.

Satellite images commissioned by the BBC seem to show construction activity at the site referenced by the intelligence source between January and October this year.

The images of the base do not reveal any signs of large or unconventional weaponry which means if it was a base it would most likely be to house soldiers and vehicles. One source said it was possible that senior Iranian military officials may have visited the compound in recent weeks.

Independent analysis of the images commissioned by the BBC says the facility is military in nature. The analysis also suggests there are a series of garages that can hold six to eight vehicles each.

The analysis suggests new buildings have been constructed and other buildings renovated in the past six months although the exact role of the new structures cannot be determined.