"We knew they were from Iran because we were not allowed to speak to them and they were kept well away from us," he told The Daily Telegraph in Yayladagi, the nearest town to the refugee camp where he now lives. "When we had operated with the Syrian army we would always mix with them and chat." His account confirms other reports that Syria has turned to its closest ally for help in putting down the protests directed at the Assad family's 41 years in power.