{"id":2312,"date":"2020-10-06T19:49:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T19:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/armenian\/?p=2312"},"modified":"2024-06-21T16:27:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T16:27:03","slug":"turkish-syrian-mercenary-groups-in-karabakh-fighting-a-compilation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/armenian\/2020\/10\/06\/turkish-syrian-mercenary-groups-in-karabakh-fighting-a-compilation\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish-Syrian Mercenary Groups in Karabakh Fighting: A Compilation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Turkish-Syrian Mercenary Groups in Karabakh Fighting: A Compilation<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n By<\/span>Emil Sanamyan<\/strong>\n \n October 6, 2020<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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In recent weeks there has been a deluge of reports about the Turkish government mobilizing Jihadist groups from Syria and elsewhere to fight against Armenia as mercenaries. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as of October 6, of some 1000 persons deployed, at least 72 mercenaries have died in the Karabakh conflict. Below are the lists of the groups mentioned in these reports, prepared by Simon Saradzhyan and originally published in his blog<\/a>.\u00a0The lists below are evolving as new information emerges, and will be updated and, if necessary, corrected.<\/p>\n

Table A: Western Media Reports and Academic Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
No<\/strong><\/td>\nName of group, whose present and\/or past affiliates have been deployed to Azerbaijan to fight against Armenia<\/strong><\/td>\nNumber of present and\/or past affiliates deployed to Azerbaijan to fight, Number of KIAs<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription of the group<\/strong><\/td>\nSources cited by following organizations:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nISIS<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Syrian Turkman Sayf Balud who has previously appeared in an ISIS propaganda video and who has been described a a former ISIS commander is now fighting in Karabakh (see more info on him below).<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sunni Jihadist group, known for massive atrocities against not only combatants, but also civilians, including terrorist acts in Europe, Russia and Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Established a branch in Russia\u2019s North Caucasus (Vilayat Kavkaz).<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Reuters<\/a>, 09.29.30, Veysi Dag <\/a>of University London in Open Democracy<\/a>, 10.02.20. (Russia\u2019s state agency TASS<\/a> quotes Macron as saying 300 with ties to ISIS have been deployed, but I could not find any international media report that quotes Macron as saying that)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nAhrar al-Sham<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sunni Jihadist group, Ahrar al-Sham worked with the Islamic State until January 2014, when IS killed an Ahrar al-Sham fighter, while one of its founders, Abu Khalid al-Suri, acted as Al Qaeda\u2019s representative in Syria, according to Stanford\u2019s resource on militant organizations.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Designated as terrorist organization by Russia.<\/td>\n

Reuters<\/a>, 09.28.20, Stanford<\/a>, RFE\/RL<\/a>, 09.30.20, Veysi Dag <\/a>of University London in Open Democracy<\/a>, 10.02.20.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

3<\/td>\nJaysh al-Nukhba<\/td>\nN\/A from international news organizations, but Armenpress<\/a> reports at least 11 KIA in Karabakh.<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trained, equipped and supported by Turkey as part of \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d (SNA)<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Designated as terrorist organization by Russia.<\/td>\n

Reuters<\/a>, 09.28.20, RFE\/RL<\/a>, 09.30.20,\u00a0 also reported by Russian government-funded Sputnik.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nJabhat Fateh al-Sham<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sunni Jihadist group, previously known as al-Nusra Front, which was formed as the result of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s leader (and later leader of so-called Islamic State (IS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ordering Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani to organize jihadist groups in the region.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Affiliated with al-Qaeda\u00a0 until proclaiming in July 2016 that it\u2019d cut ties with AQ.<\/td>\n

Veysi Dag <\/a>of University London in Open Democracy<\/a>, 10.02.20, , BBC<\/a>, 08.01.16, Reuters,<\/a> 10.06.20 (quoting Russian spy chief Naryshkin, who referred to it as al-Nusra)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nJaysh Al-Islam<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Islamist group, intent on establishing a Sharia state in Syria<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Previously supported by Saudi Arabia in addition to Turkey.<\/td>\n

Veysi Dag <\/a>of University London in Open Democracy<\/a>, 10.02.20, Guardian<\/a>, 11.07.13, Syrian Observer,<\/a> 11.07.18.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nJaysh al-Nasr<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Islamist group, supported by Turkey.<\/p>\n

o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other info: Partially equipped by U.S.<\/td>\n

Veysi Dag <\/a>of University London in Open Democracy<\/a>, 10.02.20, Jamestow<\/a>n, 03.02.17, Al Jazeera<\/a>, 07.18.19.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nHamza faction of the \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d (SNA)<\/td>\n500, 4 KIA in Karabakh, according to Armenpress<\/a><\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trained, equipped and supported by Turkey as part of SNA.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As of 2019 headed by suspected<\/a> former ISIS fighter<\/a> Ebu Bekir, according to Intercept.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 According to Daily Beast<\/a>, however, it is headed as of 2020 by Turkman Sayf Balud who has previously appeared in an ISIS propaganda video and who has been described\u00a0 as a former ISIS commander.<\/p>\n

o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other info: Also trained and equipped by U.S.: Hamza Division<\/a> was vetted by the Pentagon in 2016 and then armed and trained by the U.S. to battle against ISIS.<\/td>\n

Daily Beast<\/a>, 09.28.20, Intercept,<\/a> 10.26.20, Study of War<\/a>, 10.09.19, Reuters<\/a>, 09.29.30.<\/p>\n

Guardian<\/a>, 09.30.20, Reuters,<\/a> 10.06.20 (quoting Russian spy chief Naryshkin)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

8<\/td>\nSultan Murad faction of the \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\n500<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Headed by Turkman Fahim Aissa.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trained, equipped and supported by Turkey as part of SNA.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tortured Kurdish POWS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Engaged in hostilities in Lybia.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Had US equipment: Claimed to have been \u201cwell stocked<\/a>\u201d with new supplies of U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missiles.\u00a0 Out of the 28 factions, which formed SNA, a total of 14 were recipients of the U.S.-supplied\u00a0 TOW anti-tank guided missiles, according to Turkey\u2019s pro-government SETA think-tank<\/a>.<\/td>\n

Daily Beast<\/a>, 09.28.20, Reuters<\/a>, 10.19.15. SETA<\/a>, October 2019, Independen<\/a>t,\u00a0 06.16.20,<\/p>\n

Guardian,<\/a> 09.28.20, Reuters,<\/a> 10.06.20 (quoting Russian spy chief Naryshkin,)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

9<\/td>\nSuleyman Shah faction of the \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\nA total of 1,000 fighters from Suleiman Shah, Sultan Murad,\u00a0 and Al Hamza factions are participating in fighting in Karabakh, according to Guardian,<\/a><\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Turkish-backed<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tortured Kurdish POWS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Commanded by Muhammad al-Jasem (Abu Amsha) and by (previously) Fehim Isa.<\/p>\n

o\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other info: Also engaged in hostilities in Libya.<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Fox New<\/a>s, 10.04.20, Syria Direct<\/a>, 01.15.20, Independen<\/a>t,\u00a0 06.16.20, Guardian,<\/a> 10.02.20.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Table B: Armenian, Russian and Qatari <\/strong>Middle East Eye,<\/strong><\/a>[1]<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Name of group, whose present and\/or past affiliates have been deployed to Azerbaijan to fight<\/strong><\/td>\nNumber of present and\/or past affiliates deployed to Azerbaijan to fight\/Number of KIAs <\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Description of the group<\/strong><\/td>\nSources cited by following organizations:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Al Furqan<\/td>\nN\/A from international news organizations, but Armenpress reports at least 32 KIA in Karabakh.<\/td>\nIf Al Furqan\u00a0 refers to Alwiya Al-Furqan, then it is Sunni Jihadist organization, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda.<\/td>\nArmenpress<\/a>, 09.28.20, Aaron Y. Zelin<\/a> in Jihadology.net<\/a>, 05.14.13.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Levant Front<\/td>\nN\/A from international news organizations, but Armenpress reports at least 22 KIA in Karabakh and Macron was quoted as saying 300 jihadists from the Aleppo region, where this group is based, have been deployed.<\/td>\nSyrian rebel group based around Aleppo.<\/td>\nArmenpress<\/a>, 09.28.20, MiddleEastEye,<\/a> 09.29.20., Le Figaro<\/a>,10.02.20, Liberation<\/a>, 10.02.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Faylaq al-Sham<\/td>\n<\/td>\nSyrian Sunni Islamist rebel group<\/td>\nMiddleEastEye,<\/a> 09.29.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Samarkand Brigade<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nMiddleEastEye,<\/a> 09.29.20, also reported by RF-government-funded Sputnik<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Table C: The following individual members of jihadist and other groups whose members have been reportedly deployed by Turkey to fight in Karabakh,\u00a0 according to information I found <\/strong>in mainstream English-language news and\/or analytical sources. Evolving list as of October 6, 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
No<\/strong><\/td>\nName or pseudonym,<\/strong><\/p>\n

place of residence<\/strong><\/td>\n

Present or past affiliation with group<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription of individual and\/or group he is affiliated with<\/strong><\/td>\nSources cited by following organizations:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nN\/A, northern Syria<\/td>\nAhrar al-Sham<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The individual is getting paid for participation in fighting in Karabakh<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 1 in Table A above for description of the Ahrar al-Sham group.<\/td>\n

\u00a0Reuters<\/a>, 09.28.20, Stanford<\/a>)<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

2<\/td>\nN\/A, northern Syria<\/td>\nJaish al-Nukhba (\u201cElite Army\u201d)<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The individual is getting paid for participation in fighting in Karabakh<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 2 in Table A above for description of the Jaish al-Nukhba group.<\/td>\n

Reuters<\/a>, 09.28.20, RFE\/RL<\/a>, 09.30.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nKinan Ferzat<\/td>\nSultan Murad faction of \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 8 in Table A above for description of the Sultan Murad group.<\/td>\nFox New<\/a>s, 10.04.20. Syria Direct<\/a>, 01.15.20.<\/p>\n

Independen<\/a>t,\u00a0 06.16.20, The Guardian,<\/a> 09.28.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

4<\/td>\nOmar, Idlib<\/td>\nSultan Murad faction of \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 8 in Table A above for description of the Sultan Murad group.<\/td>\nGuardian,<\/a> 09.28.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nMuhammad (pseudonym), city of Azaz located north-northwest of Aleppo<\/td>\nSultan Murad faction of \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Muhammad was summoned to a military camp in Afrin on 13 September and\u00a0\u00a0 told by a commander in the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad division that work was available guarding observation posts and oil and gas facilities in Azerbaijan on three or six month contracts at 7,000-10,000 Turkish lira (\u00a3700-\u00a31,000) a month \u2013 significantly more than they could earn at home.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 8 in Table A above for description of the Sultan Murad group.<\/td>\n

Guardian,<\/a> 09.28.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nMahmoud (pseudonym), Azaz<\/td>\nSultan Murad faction of \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 8 in Table A above for description of the group.<\/td>\nGuardian,<\/a> 09.28.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nMuhammed Shaalan from the town of Al Atarib, KIA<\/td>\nShaalan\u2019s unit in Hamza faction of the \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d (SNA)<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 9 in Table A above for description of the Hamza group.<\/td>\nGuardian<\/a>, 09.30.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nHussein Talha, from Ain Jara village, KIA<\/td>\nShaalan\u2019s unit in Hamza faction of SNA<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 9 in Table A above for description of the Hamza group.<\/td>\nGuardian<\/a>, 09.30.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nSadam Aziz Azkor of the settlement of al Kareem, KIA<\/td>\nShaalan\u2019s unit Hamza faction of SNA<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 9 in Table A above for description of the Hamza group.<\/td>\nGuardian<\/a>, 09.30.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nAbu Ahmad, (pseudonym), 26 years old<\/td>\nnorth Syria\/described as pro-Turkish, but no affiliation specified<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Says went to fight for $2,000 a month<\/td>\nAFP<\/a>, 10.03.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\nMohammad Shaaban, KIA<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAFP<\/a>, 10.03.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\nName not specified<\/td>\nFrom town of Atareb in Aleppo province, serving in an unit commanded by Mohammad Shaaban, described as pro-Turkish, but no affiliation specified<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAFP<\/a>, 10.03.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\nName not specified,<\/td>\nAffiliated with one of SNA\u2019s factions<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Says went to fight for 1$,500 a month.<\/td>\nCNN,<\/a> 10.01.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\nMustafa Khalid, 23 years old<\/td>\nFrom Idlib, Sultan Murad faction of \u201cSyrian National Army\u201d<\/td>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Entry No. 8 in Table A above for description of the Sultan Murad group.<\/td>\nGuardian,<\/a> 10.02.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\nMuhammad al-Shuhneh, 25 years old<\/td>\nFrom Maarat al-Numan, Syria, KIA near Barda<\/td>\n<\/td>\nFP<\/a>, 10.05.20.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

[1]<\/a> London-based online news outlet covering events in the Middle East. MEE describes itself as an “independently funded online news organization that was founded in April 2014. According to Michael Rubin, MEE fills the gap as Qatar\u2019s chief agent of influence<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-focus-on-karabakh"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTurkish-Syrian Mercenary Groups in Karabakh Fighting: A Compilation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/armenian\/2020\/10\/06\/turkish-syrian-mercenary-groups-in-karabakh-fighting-a-compilation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Turkish-Syrian Mercenary Groups in Karabakh Fighting: A Compilation - 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