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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Syrian mercenaries reveal disastrous mission in Karabakh: report
2020-12-11
[ALMASDARNEWS] A new report from the BBC revealed the difficulties faced by the Ottoman Turkish-supplied Syrian mercenaries that were sent to the Karabakh region to fight on behalf of Azerbaijan.In the report, the BBC journalist cited a number of Syrian mercenaries that expressed their dissatisfaction over their treatment and use during the nearly month and a half long hostilities inside the Karabakh region.

According to the report, the mercenaries were lured in to the role after being told that they would receive $2,000 (USD) to serve as ’peacekeepers’ on behalf of the Azerbaijani side.

"I had a friend who told me that there is a very good job you can do, just to be at military checkpoints in Azerbaijan," a mercenary told BBC, while another said, "They told us our mission would be to serve as sentries on the border — as peacekeepers. They were offering $2,000 a month! It felt like a fortune for us."

Upon arrival in Karabakh, the mercenaries were sent straight to the battle front, where they engaged in fierce combat with the local Armenian forces. "My first battle began the day after I arrived," a man named Ismael told the BBC. "I and about 30 guys were sent to the front line. We walked for about 50m when suddenly a rocket landed near us. I threw myself to the ground. The shelling lasted for 30 minutes non-stop. Those minutes felt like years. It was then I regretted coming to Azerbaijan."

Another mercenary told the BBC that many of the recruits had no military experience or training, leaving them in a state of panic. "We didn’t know what to do, how to react," a mercenary named Samir said. "I saw men dying, and others who just went crazily running. They didn’t have any sense of where they were going, because they were basically civilians."
Related:
Syrian mercenaries: 2020-12-03 More than 900 Syrian Fighters Return Home from Karabakh
Syrian mercenaries: 2020-11-29 First batch of Syrian mercenaries from Azerbaijan reached Hawar Kilis (Syria)
Syrian mercenaries: 2020-11-21 Turkish army, allied militants attack Kurdish forces in northern Syria
Posted by:Fred

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