Syrian Government Forces In Kurdish Held Afrin [Video]
Forces deployed were from the National Defence Forces (NDF).
The creation of the NDF was personally overseen by Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Suleimani. Syria has stated they received assistance from Iran and Hezbollah, who both "played a key role in the formalisation of the NDF".
Personnel estimates range up to 100,000.
NDF recruits received training in urban warfare from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah instructors at facilities inside Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. IRGC officers have also been embedded within units actively fighting.