On September 22nd, I received several reports from sources inside the Syrian National Army (SNA), the umbrella organization of all Syrian opposition factions backed by Turkey, that the first deployment of SNA men to Azerbaijan had taken place. For months before this, rumors that Turkey would be sending militants to Azerbaijans had been swirling among the SNA. “The men were taken to Turkey, forced to shave their beards and wear civilian clothes, and then they began their journey,” a Hamza Division militant in Afrin said.
Category: Article
A New Libya Ceasefire and the Syrian Mercenary Rumor Mill
On Friday, Fayez al-Sarraj, Prime Minister of the Turkey, Qatar, and UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), and Aguila Saleh, President of the Libyan House of Representatives, announced separate ceasefire statements. Both included a call to demilitarize the city of Sirte, though the proposed implementation details varied in each.
The statements drew praise from countries backing both sides, but after a number of failed ceasefires in Libya, it’s unclear whether the latest can succeed. In the short term, the annoucement means an uncertain future for the estimated 10,000 Syrian National Army (SNA) militants brought to Libya by Turkey as part of a military agreement with the GNA.
“Tarhuna Feels Like a Ghost Town Now.” Civilians in Tarhuna Suffer Following the Libyan National Army’s Retreat
On June 5, militias affiliated with the Government of National Accord (GNA), a UN-backed interim government based in Tripoli, pushed into Tarhuna following a retreat by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Benghazi-based Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. “It was a humanitarian gesture intended to spare the Libyan people further bloodshed,” Major General Ahmed al-Mismari, spokesman of the LNA, said of the retreat.
“From Destruction to Construction” in Eastern Libya
The drive from Benghazi to Derna, a port city in Eastern Libya is stunning. After passing through the al Kouf valley, the route continues past picturesque Greek ruins and down a coastal highway overlooking the vast, blue Mediterranean. We stayed at the Emilia Resort, a cluster of well-appointed tourist apartments directly across from the sea. After we settled in, we met Suraqa el-Shaari, 26, at the resort’s restaurant and coffee shop.
“These Mercenaries Believe Whatever Turkey Tells Them.”
As Syrian and Russian forces bombard Idlib and the Aleppo countryside, thousands of militants from the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) who would presumably be defending these areas in Syria are instead in Libya. They’ve been flown to Tripoli by Turkey, at the request of the Government of National Accord (GNA), to fight alongside the myriad Islamist groups defending the key city from the advancing Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Khalifa Haftar.
“I Came for the Money.” Interview with a Turkish-Backed Syrian Mercenary in Libya
When Turkish President Erdogan announced he would be sending men from the so-called “Syrian National Army,” also known as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) to Libya to fight in support of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, rumors among the Syrian opposition began to swirl. One TFSA commander in Afrin told me that fighters would be paid $2000 per month. “It’s around $100 here in Syria, or $2,000 there. It’s an easy choice for them,” he said.
LNA Source: ISIS Member who Escaped SDF Prison in Syria Captured in Libya En Route to Europe
On January 19th, the German government hosted the two main warring parties in Libya, the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Khalifa Haftar, and the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez Sarraj, along with their foreign supporters, at a conference in Berlin to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire. The night before the Berlin talks, Major General Ahmed al-Mismari, the spokesman of the LNA, held a press conference.
“Turkish Products Become Money, Which Become Bullets.”
At a small grocery store in Derik, Syria, one dusty case of Sariyer soda water sits underneath a shelf. “The self-administration [of North and East Syria] gave us time to finish selling the Turkish products we had in stock, like this one,” said the store’s owner. “After this, we will not be ordering more.”
When Turkey launched attacks on Northeastern Syria in October 2019, ultimately killing hundreds and displacing hundreds of thousands, a campaign asking locals to boycott Turkish goods immediately followed.
“Everyday, ISIS Detainees Try to Escape from Here”: Security Issues at Northeast Syria’s al Hol Camp Persist
The sprawling al Hol camp in Hasakah, Syria is a grim sight in the dead of winter. Aylu*, a YPJ member (women’s protection units, a group of female fighters in Northeastern Syria), is one of the camp’s administrators. “The situation hasn’t changed much since you were here last,” she said.
On The Investigative Journal’s last visit to the camp in November, Aylu told us that the attacks launched by Turkey and the Turkish-backed so-called Syrian National Army the month before had forced more than half of al Hol’s security personnel to move to the frontlines to repel enemy advances.
“Everyone Who Could Flee, Did.”
When Turkey began bombing his village in Serê-Kaniyê in October, Jamil Khabat, his wife, and their young songs fled their home. “This is the third time I’ve had to leave my home because of Turkish attacks,” he said. “The last time, Turkey opened the border crossing and let [the militants] in.”
Khabat and his family are one of 50-60 staying at a school in Hasakah. Most of the families, like Khabat’s, are from Serê-Kaniyê. The desks removed from the classrooms lie in a massive pile in front of the school’s entrance.