On April 10, at least five people were killed in clashes between
security forces and protesters throughout Syria. All except one of the
victims were identified as civilians.
RPS, regarded as authoritative, said IRGC was playing a leading role in
regime security as well as Syrian defense, Middle East Newsline reported. The opposition said IRGC
personnel included experts in missiles, nuclear development, security and
training.
At first, IRGC monitored the anti-Assad protests. But since April 4, RPS
said, IRGC has been directing all security operations through its command
and control center in Homs, including monitoring the Assad family.
"All of Assad's high echelon security generals now report directly to
the IRGC as of April 4, 2011," RPS said. "All the generals in Assad's army
and security apparatuses, with emphasis on the Alawite generals, including
Maher Assad, are being closely monitored by the IRGC for fear of a military
coup."
Maher, Assad's younger brother, was said to be playing a leading role in
quelling the uprising in Syria. RPS said IRGC, in an operation by Hisham
Bikhtiar, was monitoring telephones and tracking the vehicles of senior
government officials.
IRGC was said to have played a key role in security operations in the
southern city of Dera. IRGC said senior officers directed Syrian security
forces to employ live fire in which nearly 30 civilians were killed in Dera
on April 8-9.
"It targeted the city of Dera because the IRGC deemed that breaking the
people's will in Dera will demoralize the other cities," RPS said on April
9.
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