On Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed that Turkish intelligence transferred hundreds of militants from terrorist organizations, most of whom were of Tunisian nationality, from Syrian territory to Libya in recent months.
SOHR sources indicated that Turkish intelligence transferred more than 2,500 IS members who hold Tunisian nationality to Libya, on the orders of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Last week, the SOHR confirmed that “Turkey began to transfer [to Libya] a new batch of terrorists composed of non-Syrians who are present in the Turkish occupied areas of Syria, such as the Euphrates Shield regions.”
Among them were nationalities from countries in North Africa, according to the SOHR’s Director Rami Abdel Rahman.
The Observatory indicated that these people would participate in the fighting alongside the forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA) against the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Meanwhile, the flow of Syrian mercenaries to Libya continues in smaller numbers than before, according to the Observatory, which said the total number of Syrian mercenaries in Arab African countries had reached 16,000. About 5,000 of these have been returned to Syria.
According to SOHR’s statistics, the death toll of pro-Turkish fighters in military operations in Libya has reached 470, including 33 children under the age of 18.