The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

SOHR reveals: Turkey recruits nearly 10,000 Syrian mercenaries, 223 of whom killed in battles in Libyan territory so far

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights continues tracking the issue of Syrian mercenaries transfer by Turkey to Libyan territory, as reliable sources have informed SOHR that new batches have arrived in Libya to join the military operations in the side of the “Government of National Accord” against “Haftar’s forces”.

According to new SOHR statistics, the number of recruits who arrived in Libya up to date, rose to nearly 7,400 mercenaries, including a group of non-Syrian mercenaries, while nearly 2,500 others arrived in Turkey to undergo training courses.

Meanwhile, hundreds of fighters are getting prepared to be transported from Syria to Turkey, since factions of the “National Army” are continuing to list new names at Turkish intelligence’s orders. However, some factions refuse to register their fighter’s onlists required by the “National Army”, which were met with suspension of funds and other restrictions in an attempt to exert pressure on these factions to send new batches of their fighters to join the war in Libya.

According to very reliable SOHR sources, the commanders of the batches which arrived recently in Libya, instructed their fighters not to talk about the monthly salaries and “they would be awarded,” as the commanders said.

The commanders also instructed their fighters to reaffirm the “fact that they came for the Libyan people not for money”, when talking to Libyan persons.

Such instructions aim to strengthen the situation of Syrian factions in Libya before the public opinion, especially after the deteriorating situations of these factions had been leaked to the public, and after many fighters expressed their regret for going to Libya.

Reliable SOHR sources say that the participation of Turkish-backed mercenaries helped in tipping the scales of battles in western Libya in their favour.

Syrian Observatory activists has confirmed that more Syrian mercenaries were killed in the ongoing military operations in Libyan territory, bringing the total death toll of Turkish-backed Syrian proxies  killed in military operations in Libya to 223.

The fatalities are 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 on frontlines of Salah Al-Din in the south of Tripoli, Al-Ramlah near Tripoli Airport, Al-Hadabah Project area, Misrata and other areas in Libya.