The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Turkey’s mercenaries: new batches of Syrian fighters to be sent to Libya and number of fighters crossing to Europe rises to 200

Reliable sources have informed SOHR that a new batch of “al-Mutassim Brigade” fighters will be transferred to Libya by Turkey in the next few hours, as part of Turkey’s continuous process of “mercenaries” transfer to Libya.

On the other hand, the number of Syrian fighters fleeing Libya to Europe continues to rise. Reliable sources have informed the Syrian Observatory that nearly 40 fighters of al-Hamzat and other factions have fled to Italy in the past few hours, bringing the number of Syrian fighters who fled from Libya to Europe to nearly 200.

SOHR activists have documented a spike in the number of Syrian mercenaries who joined the military operations in Libya and killed in action; now the number stands at 117. The fatalities belong to the following factions: “al-Mu’tasim Division, Sultan Murad, Suqur Al-Shamal Brigade, Al-Hamzat and Suleiman Shah”.

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

Over the recent period, SOHR sources have reported that the number of recruits who arrived in Tripoli up to date, rose to nearly 4,750, while nearly 1,900 others arrived in Turkey to undergo training courses.

Despite the number of mercenaries who volunteered to go to Libya has exceeded 6,000, the number that Turkey requested, recruitment is still widespread in Afrin and areas under control of “Euphrates Shield” factions and NE Syria region. The volunteers are primarily fighters from the following factions: “al-Mu’tasim Division, Sultan Murad, Suqur Al-Shamal Brigade, Al-Hamzat, Al-Sham Corps, Suliman Shah and Samarkand Brigade”. Popular resentment over the transfer of mercenaries to Libya is high, particularly at a time when regime forces backed by Russian-backed military, are conducting brutal military operations in Aleppo and Idlib, where most of those ‘mercenary’ fighters come from.