NCRI – The US Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) today revealed, from its sources inside Iran, the regime’s sophisticated program of training foreign mercenaries.
The Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has created the Training Directorate, codenamed ‘12,000’. Headquartered at the Imam Ali military base, the IRGC operates dozens of training camps across Iran, specializing in all aspects of warfare from missile to marine operations. Cadres are divided by nationality as well as specialization.
The Training Directorate was approved by Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on a visit to the Quds Force, according to a senior adviser to the IRGC commander-in-chief and the directorate’s former commander, IRGC Brigadier General, Khosrow Orouj.
Every month, hundreds of forces from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Lebanon — countries where the regime is involved in frontline combat — receive military training and are subsequently dispatched to the various frontlines. For operations in countries where there is no open warfare – including Persian Gulf countries, such as Bahrain and Kuwait – terrorists cells are trained instead.
The NCRI today highlighted 14 IRGC training camps, as well as describing the command structure, stating that the commander of the Training Directorate, reports directly to Quds Force Commander, Qassem Soleimani. Terrorist training for operatives from across the globe is commanded by Colonel Tahmasebi. Codenamed ‘320’, the commander of heavy weapons training at Imam Ali military base is Colonel Ali Mohammad. In charge of ‘VIP Security’ is Colonel Ramky.
The scale of the Training Directorate is underlined by the fact that just one of its training camps is currently sending 2,000 Afghans to Syria every week.
IRGC mercenaries are first sent for ideological indoctrination at the Imam Ali Academy in Tajrish, Tehran. They are then sent to one of the following:
Imam Ali Garrison – various
Baadindeh Center in Varamin – urban warfare
Malek Ashtar Camp in Amol – survival training
Semnan Center –missile training
Lowshan Garrison – special training
Telecabin Axis – commando training
Abadan – marine warfare
Ahwaz – marine warfare
Qeshm Axis – marine warfare
Mashhad Center – Afghan forces
Pazouki Garrison – Afghan forces for Syria
Chamran Garrison – Afghan forces for Syria
Shahriar Garrison – Afghan forces for Syria
In addition to the camps highlighted today, the NCRI stressed that the IRGC operates dozens of other similar bases and camps: there are many located near the Iran-Iraq frontier, to enable the Iranian regime to interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs.
The IRGC, of which the Quds Force is part, is the bulwark of the religious dictatorship in Iran, engaging in domestic repression, external terrorism and nuclear weapons and missile production, as well as controlling large parts of the Iranian economy.
Location of 14 IRGC Terrorist Training Camps Around Iran
Location of 8 IRGC Terrorist Training Camps in Tehran
Imam Ali Garrison
IRGC’s Main Terrorist Training Camp for Foreign Nationals
Imam Ali Academy
IRGC’s Theoretical Training Camp for Foreign Nationals
Lowshan Garrison
IRGC’s Special Training Camp for Foreign Nationals
Pazouki Garrison
IRGC’s Training Camp for Afghan Nationals
Badindeh Garrison
IRGC’s Urban Warfare and terrorist Training Camp for Foreign Nationals