Libya .. The number of Turkish mercenaries from Syria rises

Archival photo of gunmen in the Libyan city of Tripoli

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that about 260 armed men, including an officer with the rank of captain of the pro-Turkish factions, went to Libya to fight alongside the Tripoli militias against the Libyan National Army forces.

The observatory added that all the fighters are from an armed organization known as the "Legion of the Levant", most of whom are displaced from the city of Homs, pointing out that there are preparations to transport 300 other fighters belonging to the Legion of the Levant, after several days to Libya.

On January 5, the observatory revealed that a Syrian gunman from pro-Turkish factions had been killed during the clashes taking place in Tripoli, while he was fighting alongside militias of the Fayez al-Sarraj government, explaining that he was among the armed men among a faction known as "Sultan Murad", one of the most prominent factions. Which sent militants to fight in Libya.

Thus, the number of armed men who have arrived in the Libyan capital so far is about one thousand, while the number of armed men who have arrived in the Turkish camps to receive training has reached about 1700.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the recruitment operations "continue greatly in Afrin or the Euphrates Shield areas."

The observatory had said on December 30, 2019, that the number of militants who arrived in the Turkish camps to receive training reached at least 1,600, belonging to the factions of "Sultan Murad", "Suleiman Shah" and "Al-Mu'tasim Division" all loyal to Turkey.

He added that they were transferred from the Afrin region after registering their names, while the process of registering names is continuing on a large scale.

It is noteworthy that the recruitment of mercenaries is considered a crime in accordance with the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, which was issued by the United Nations some 30 years ago.