Syrian opposition arrests militants who refuse to fight in Azerbaijan
AZAZ, Syria (North Press) – A Turkish-backed armed opposition group in northern Syria recently arrested a number of Syrian mercenaries who refused to fight and returned to Syria after Turkey sent them to fight in Azerbaijan.
A military source told North Press that the Hamza Division arrested 16 militants from Turkish-backed armed opposition groups who returned to Syria after refusing to fight in Azerbaijan.
The Hamza Division operates within the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in northwestern Syria and is a group of the Syrian National Army (SNA).
Reports are continuing regarding Turkey sending “Syrian mercenaries” to support Azerbaijan, following an announcement by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his country stands by Azerbaijan in its war against Armenia.
The source added that during the past few days, 400 Syrian militants who were sent by Turkey to fight against the Armenian forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region have returned.
He pointed out that the 400 militants entered Syria from Kilis crossing border near the city of Azaz, northwest of Aleppo, after having their money and mobile phones confiscated.
In addition, a source from Idlib told North Press that bodies of Syrian mercenaries had recently arrived at a camp near the town of Atmeh, north of Idlib.
The source added, “The Turkish-backed armed opposition groups secretly buried the bodies late at night.”
On Tuesday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) announced that the bodies of Syrian mercenaries arrived with members of the opposition armed groups who had returned from Azerbaijan.
The death toll for Syrians participating in the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia since September 27 has risen to 119, according to Syrian media sources.
Turkey, according to the source, continues to recruit Syrians to fight in the Karabakh region by providing financial incentives under the pretext of protecting bases and facilities there.
The current fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia is the fiercest since 1990s, as the conflict over the Karabakh region, which announced its autonomy and its independence from the Azerbaijan Soviet Republic in 1988.