Financial Tribune- Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said the armed forces are continuing their advisory mission in war-stricken Syria.

Speaking to Tasnim News Agency in a recent talk, Pourdastan said following requests by the Army�s Ground Force, the army dispatched commandos from its Special Forces, known as the 65th Brigade.

The general noted that the commandos were so capable that a brigade named �Malek Ashtar� was established in Syria and they were posted as the commanders of the brigade.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with government forces fighting various militant groups, including the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group.

The conflict has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and displaced nearly half of Syria�s prewar population of about 23 million. In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supports its government in the face of the foreign-backed militancy.