Turkey sends new batches of Syrian mercenaries to Libya, as many volunteers killed in recent battles

Turkey continues to send Syrian mercenaries to join the war in Libya. Reliable sources have informed the Syrian Observatory that a new batch of at least 150 militiamen of the Turkish-backed faction “Sultan Murad” was transported by Turkish buses in the past few days from Afrin city center to the border with Turkey. Another batch of ten other recruits from Jarabulus and Al-Bab cities headed to an assembly point in Hawar Kellis area.

Nearly 300 mercenaries affiliated to “Sultan Murad”, “Suqour al-Shamal Brigade” and “Al-Sham Corps” arrived in Libya yesterday, Friday.

Accordingly, the number of recruits who arrived in Tripoli up to date rose to nearly 5,050, while nearly 1,950 others arrived in Turkey to undergo training courses.

The shipment of new batches of Syrian mercenaries to Libya coincides with the killing of large number of mercenaries in battles and clashes with Haftar’s forces on Libyan territories. Syrian Observatory activists have documented the killing of 17 Turkish-backed fighters in Libya in the past few hours and days, bringing the total death toll of Turkish-backed fighters in military battles in Libya to 182.

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 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.