THIS EDIT CONTAINS USER-GENERATED CONTENT THAT WAS UPLOADED TO A SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE. IT HAS BEEN CHECKED BY REUTERS' SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM AND REVIEWED BY A SENIOR EDITOR. REUTERS IS CONFIDENT THE EVENTS PORTRAYED ARE GENUINE. RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT Photos emerge on social media purporting to show the head of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds force, Qassem Soleimani at a pro-regime rally in Latakia, Syria. SHOWS: SAID TO BE LATAKIA, SYRIA (UNKNOWN) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE-ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 1. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF QASSEM SOLEIMANI SPEAKING TO GROUPS OF SOLDIERS SEATED ON GRASS 2. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF SOLEIMANI SURROUNDED BY SOLDIERS STORY: Stills emerged on Wednesday (October 14) which purported to show the head of Iran Revolutionary Guards' Quds force, Qassem Soleimani at a pro-government rally in Latakia, Syria. Soleimani is pictured in a wooded area of what is said to be northern Latakia province addressing soldiers and fighters with a microphone, wearing dark clothes as he spoke to the men in camouflage. Iran has sent thousands of additional troops into Syria in recent days to bolster one offensive that is underway in Hama province and in preparation for another in the Aleppo area, two senior regional officials told Reuters. "This leak at this time is deliberate and part of managing the battle in which the Russian Sukhois (warplanes) are taking part," said Salem Zahran, a Lebanese media pundit with close ties to Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Syrian government. In another sign of Iran's central role in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a team of Iranian lawmakers arrived in Damascus on Wednesday. Two senior Revolutionary Guards officers were killed fighting Islamic State in Syria on Monday (October 12), Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, although it did not say where. Another senior Guards commander was killed last week, as was a top Hezbollah commander.

• published: 15 Oct 2015
• views: 902