On Sunday, December 22, the Chinese state-run CGTN's correspondent in Ankara reported, citing an Iranian security official, that Pourhashemi died after being shot by a Syrian officer during a meeting in a joint operations room in Aleppo.According to the report by Yakup Aslan, the meeting included Iranian military advisors and Syrian army commanders and took place amid advances by rebel forces in the outskirts of Aleppo...The report noted that IRGC commanders believed a counteroffensive against Assad's opposition, supported by Russian airpower, was possible at the time. However, Syrian commanders hesitated to issue the necessary orders...Armed opposition forces, in a surprise...