(NewsNation) —  Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha’bi militia group is helping the Iranian regime to carry out brutal, deadly attacks against Iranian protesters, according to sources.

An Iranian refugee, who asked for anonymity due to fear for their safety, told NewsNation on Thursday that “anti-riot forces on the streets of Mashhad are not even Iranians, they speak Arabic.” They added they are “Hashd al-Sha’bi forces from Iraq as there are constant direct flights from Najaf (a city in Iraq) to Mashhad (a city in Iran).”  

Hashd al-Sha’bi, also known as Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, is mostly made up of Shia militias aligned and openly supportive of Iran’s regime. They operate out of Iraq.

Retired Lt. Col. Mike Nelson, who has extensive experience with U.S. Central Command, explained that the Iranian military is split into two: the traditional army, Artesh, and the regime loyalists in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC has subordinate organizations including the Basij, which cracks down on domestic disturbances. 

“I’m not surprised to hear they have brought in their Shia extremist proxies to support the crackdown,” Nelson said.

Nelson said that the regime would call in outside forces to carry out their orders since they would “likely be more reliable in that they are ideologically aligned with the regime, not Persian, i.e., these are not their neighbors and families rising up. They are less disciplined, which is not a factor if you do not care about them being brutal.”

The Associated Press reports that at least 2,637 people have been killed.

Lisa Daftari, an Iranian American journalist and foreign policy analyst, told NewsNation, “Two independent sources informed me that roughly 850 fighters from Hezbollah, Kata’ib Ahl al-Haq, Popular Mobilization Forces units, and Quds Force–linked elements secretly crossed into Iran’s Kermanshah Province via the Mehran border on Sunday night Jan. 4, with the reported aim of reinforcing the regime’s security apparatus to crush protests and revolutionary street activity as unrest spreads. This marked a dangerous escalation consistent with the mullahs’ pattern of relying on foreign and proxy forces for domestic repression, and it is further confirmed by video evidence of anti-riot units speaking Arabic, which has been repeatedly confirmed to me by trusted contacts on the ground.”

The regime has shut down the internet in the country, leaving Iranians unable to call out.  There was a brief restoration in the last two days, according to Iranian refugees who spoke with NewsNation.

An Iranian refugee described to NewsNation a call they received from a person in Iran recounting the “horrible” situation in Iran. NewsNation is choosing not to name the source as there are concerns for their safety.

“You slip on blood when you walk in the streets,” the person in Iran said. “There are no protests at all where I am for the past two nights. Shopkeepers are made to shut their stores by 4 p.m., and anti-riot police are everywhere. Drones are also monitoring everything. They are using live ammunition on people.”

CENTCOM declined to respond to a NewsNation request for comment.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it’s stopped — it’s stopping.  And there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions — so I’ve been told that on good authority.”