Around 450 Arab and Foreign Extremists from Idlib Arrive in Ukraine
Almost 450 extremists from various nationalities have arrived in Ukraine from Idlib to fight against Russian forces, less than only three days after they left Syria, and passing through Turkey.
Relatives of the extremists who went to Ukraine told Sputnik that veteran fighters from terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (rebranded version of Jabhat Al-Nusra, i.e Al-Qaeda) have held a number of meetings with senior leaders in the Turkistan Islamic Party group and Ansar Al-Tawhid and Hurras al-Din groups, and agreed on allowing a number of all their fighters to enter Ukraine through Turkey.
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The sources added that most of these foreign fighters are veterans of the Syrian war, had been causing issues in Idlib, and were given this “opportunity” by the terrorist organizations to fight against Russia as a compromise by which they would receive a new start and an acceptable income.
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham also gave these fighters assurances that their families would be allowed to join them later.
Around 300 of these fighters are Syrian nationals who are originally from Idlib and Aleppo countrysides, while the remaining 150 are Belgian, French, Chinese, Moroccan, Tunisian, Chechen and British nationals.
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As for the financial compensation, the sources said the fighters that hail from Syria will receive around $1,200-$1,500, but had no knowledge what the foreign nationals were going to be paid.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has previously stated that 16,000 foreign mercenaries will fight for the country.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the growing number of foreign mercenaries operating in Ukraine, including those coming from Albania and Croatia and militants and Jihadists coming from Kosovo in order to put their experience from military operations in Syria to use.
Featured image: Around 450 extremists of various nationalities, most of them veterans of the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have left Idlib, Syria, and gone to Ukraine to fight against Russian troops. Photo: Al-Mayadeen
