On Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that ambiguity still surrounded the fate of Syrian mercenaries sent by the Turkish government to Libya. Their return to Syria has been suspended since mid-November 2020.
“Despite the Libyan-led agreement and ceasefire, there are many questions about the reasons behind maintaining such a large number of mercenaries in Libya until now,” the SOHR reported.
It revealed the number of recruits who arrived in Libya reached 18,000 fighters, including 350 children under the age of 18. The Observatory pointed out that 10,750 fighters returned to Syria after completing the duration of their contracts and receiving their financial dues. The death toll is estimated at 496.
On Tuesday, sources told the SOHR that the mercenaries’ mission in Azerbaijan has ended, after the latest batches of fighters returned to Syria. 2,580 fighters were transferred to Azerbaijan by Ankara. 514 of whom were killed in action, and an unknown number captured.