Over 2,000 Afghans sent by Iran killed in Syria: official
Tehran: More than 2,000 Afghans deployed by Iran have been killed fighting in Syria on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, an official in the volunteer force told Iranian media.
The Fatemiyoun Brigade of Afghan "volunteer" recruits has been fighting in Syria for five years, said Zohair Mojahed, a cultural official in the brigade.
"This brigade has given more than 2,000 martyrs and 8,000 wounded for Islam," he said in an interview with the reformist Shargh newspaper published Saturday.
Iran rarely provides figures on the numbers fighting and killed in its operations in Syria and Iraq.
The last toll was provided by the veterans organisation in March, which said 2,100 volunteers had died without specifying how many were foreign recruits.
Iran denies sending professional troops to fight in the region, saying it has only provided military advisors and organised brigades made up of volunteers from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Fatemiyoun is reportedly the biggest military unit deployed by Iran in Iraq and Syria, made up of recruits from Afghanistan's Shiite minority.
Iran has backed Afghan forces in the past against the Taliban in their own country, as well as mobilising them against Saddam Hussein's forces in the Iran-Iraq war of 1980- 88.
Some 3,000 Afghans died fighting Iraq in the 1980s, Mojahed said.
Tehran offers Iranian citizenship to the families of those foreign fighters "martyred" in the conflicts of Syria and Iraq.
Iranian media has reported on the funerals of volunteer "martyrs" and aired television features about their presence in Syria.
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Kerala govt to pursue legal route to secure Rs 1,500 crore withheld by Centre over PM SHRI issue
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Kerala government on Tuesday said it would explore both legal and protest avenues to secure over Rs 1,500 crore in funds allegedly withheld by the Centre under various centrally sponsored schemes because Kerala has not signed the PM SHRI scheme memorandum.
State General Education Minister V. Sivankutty said that Kerala will join forces with Tamil Nadu to press for their rightful share. He accused the central government of discriminatory practices.
"I have already spoken to the Tamil Nadu Education Minister twice and will be meeting him next week," Sivankutty told PTI Video, underlining a coordinated effort between the two southern states.
The funds in question have allegedly been held back due to Kerala's refusal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) associated with the PM Sree scheme — a central government initiative aimed at upgrading select schools across India.
Minister Sivankutty further cited a Supreme Court judgement in a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government, which made clear that states are under no legal compulsion to implement the National Education Policy (NEP).
This ruling has opened the door for Kerala to approach the apex court over the denial of its financial entitlement.
"I had personally discussed the issue with the Union Education Minister on two occasions and have also written to the Centre requesting the release of funds owed to the state," Sivankutty said.
"They have even blocked our Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) funds on the same grounds. The Centre has not responded positively, and we are now left with no choice but to pursue legal remedies and organise protests," he said.
Calling for fair treatment, the Minister urged the Union government to recognise Kerala as an integral and significant part of the country and to release the funds that are due.
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