KABUL - According to reports, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has been recruiting thousands of Afghan refugees to fight against the rebel forces in Syria.

The Afghan refugees are also granted Iranian residency, $500 a month, school registration for their children and charity card to help the Assad regime, according to Afghan and Western officials.

An Afghan religious leader Ayatullah Mohaqiq Kabuli has confirmed that the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran convince the Afghan youth to fight in Syria.

“They give them everything from salary to residency,” Ayatullah Kabuli quoted in a report by Wall Street Journal said.

Iran has played a key role by funding, training, arming and sending foot soldiers in a bid to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power since the conflict began in Syria three years ago.

Several Afghan refugees have reportedly been killed in Syria conflict with reports of funeral for the Afghan recruits emerging in November last year.

A video also circulated in internet earlier last year which showed the dead bodies of several foreign fighters in Syria including Afghan nationals.

Syria armed opposition forces claimed in the video that the dead bodies belong to Iran however an Afghan identity card could also be seen with one of the victim.

The deceased individual was recognized as Safar Mohammad son of Khan Ali and was the resident of northern Balkh province of Afghanistan. (KP)