BAGHDAD: A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was killed fighting the militant Islamic State (IS) group, west of the Iraqi city of Mosul, the Tehran-based Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

It is the first time that Iran has announced the death of a senior commander during the operations launched in October to drive the Islamist militants out of Mosul.

“Commander Shaaban Nassiri was martyred in operations to free the area west of Mosul,” the Tasnim news agency quoted the Revolutionary Guards as saying.

The IRGC is the main backer of the Iraqi Shia paramilitary force known as Popular Mobilisation, fighting IS men west of Mosul.

Nassiri was killed near Baaj, one of the last cities which remain under IS control, near the Syrian border, according to Mashregh, an Iranian news website.

The IS chief is believed to be hiding in the region, according to US and Iraqi officials.

Nassiri fought in the Iran-Iran war of 1980-1988 and has been involved in the six-year war in Syria, backing President Bashar al-Assad.

A general from the Revolutionary Guards assumed the post of Iran’s ambassador to Iraq in April, in a sign of the key role the military force is playing in its neighbouring country.

Popular Mobilisation on Friday announced the capture of the Sinjar military base, near Baaj, moving its presence closer to the Syrian border.

Iraq’s Shia-led government is aiming to control the border in coordination with the Iranian-backed army of Assad.

Linking up the two sides would give Assad a significant advantage in fighting the six-year rebellion against his rule.

Iran has provided military support to Assad since at least 2012, but initially did not comment publicly on its role. But as the military support increased and Iranian casualties rose, officials began to speak more openly.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2017