The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Turkey’s mercenaries: nearly 2,600 Syrian mercenaries arrive in Libya, 28 killed in Tripoli battles so far

Turkey continues to send more fighters from Syria to Libya, despite all international warnings and the information circulated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on media.

The registration of volunteers who desire to engage the war in Libya is growing considerably, along with the arrival of more batches of mercenaries in Libya.

SOHR sources report that the number of recruits who arrived in Tripoli up to date, rose to nearly 2,600, while nearly 1,790 others arrived in Turkey to undergo training courses.

Recruitment spreads widely in Afrin, areas under control of “Euphrates Shield” factions and NE Syria region. The volunteers are fighters of the factions “al-Mu’tasim Division, Sultan Murad, Suqur Al-Shamal Brigade, Al-Hamzat, Al-Sham Corps, Suliman Shah and Samarkand Brigade”

SOHR documented a spike in the number of Syrian mercenaries who joined the military operations in Libya and killed there, to 28, all of the factions “al-Mu’tasim Division, Sultan Murad, Suqur Al-Shamal Brigade, Al-Hamzat and Suleiman Shah”.

According to very reliable SOHR sources, the fatalities were killed in clashes in Salah Al-Din in the south of Tripoli, frontline in Al-Ramlah near Tripoli Airport, and Al-Hadabah Project area. The casualties are taken to three medical points (Al-Mashtal Sanitarium, Qaddour Sanitarium, Ghout Al-Sha’al Sanitarium).

Activists informed the Syrian Observatory on Sunday, that Turkey wanted nearly 6,000 Syrian volunteers to be sent to Libya. Turkey intents to reduce allocated salaries and put specific conditions of accepting new recruits, as soon as the required number of volunteers is completed.

One of the fighters who have been displaced from Idlib and desired to join the war in Libya, said to SOHR activists “I want to go to Libya to win what Turkey offers. I have nothing to lose. I live in a tent and my salary is 300 Turkish Liras that are not enough for my food. The leaving to Libya where I will take 2,000 USD, is better than fighting in east Euphrates.”

Perhaps the view of this fighter is the same of all fighters who volunteered or want to volunteer, mostly displaced from middle Syria and Rif Dimashq to Afrin and Idlib, in addition to some others from Aleppo countryside. Living situation is deteriorating and the Turkish inducements push these mercenaries to accept joining the war in Libya.

Reliable sources provided the Observatory with information about the identity of those fighters who appeared in a video clip, aboard a private Turkish airplane while heading from Syria to Libya. Most of them are fighters displaced from middle Syria to Afrin and Idlib.

Meanwhile, a commander in the “National Army” appeared on a Turkish TV channel loyal to Erdogan’s government, affirming the sending of fighters to Libya, in which he said “We are ready to go everywhere for supporting the oppressed, and we will go to Turkistan after getting rid of Al-Assad.”

“We will present our souls for the Ottoman Caliphate” he added.

It is noteworthy that the conscription of mercenaries is a crime according to the international conventions issued by the UN before about 30 years ago.