50 Iranian students killed fighting in Syria

As many as 50 Iranian university students have been killed in Syria over the last three months, the head of the Iranian Student Basij Organisation, Daud Gudrazi, said

The students had volunteered to protect Shia sanctities in Syria. Gudrazi said more volunteers were ready to go.

Earlier, the Director of the Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, Mohammad Ali Shahidi Mahallati, said nearly 1,000 Iranians have been killed during the fighting in Syria.

Iran, a major ally of Syrian regime President Bashar Al-Assad says it sends military advisers and volunteers to support the regime’s forces.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests-which erupted as part of the Arab Spring uprisings – with unexpected ferocity. The regime is backed by both Iran and Russia.

More than 300,000 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict which has displaced more than 12 million people.