Reported sighting of top Iranian general in Aleppo

General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force, the external operations wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, was reportedly photographed inspecting pro-government militias in Aleppo on Tuesday.

The photos were shared widely on Arab social media, with the militia being identified as the Iraqi al-Nujba movement, which on Wednesday said it had sent 1,000 extra fighters to the frontlines in Aleppo.

The battle for Aleppo has escalated in recent weeks, and the arrival of Soleimani in person could indicate that Bashar al-Assad’s patrons are not going to go down without a fight.