Mercenaries Struggle in Fierce Battles and Wish to Return, The Wall Street Journal

Dozens of mercenaries who left Syria have returned from the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sources cited by the publication indicate that hundreds of fighters were sent to Nagorno-Karabakh by Turkey, but many of them are unable to endure the fierce combat. Around 200 mercenaries are requesting to be sent back, their fighting spirit shattered due to the rapidly rising death toll.

Furthermore, mercenaries are reportedly earning about $2000, and the number of those wishing to travel to Artsakh has not diminished. The article claims that hundreds of fighters associated with Turkey have been dispatched from Syria to the conflict zone. According to the journalist, “hundreds of members of Syrian armed groups have participated in the ongoing battles between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

This information has been confirmed by two sources in Syria connected to the transportation of these fighters. The sources note that since July, there has been a spread of information within Syrian groups about participating in combat operations. Since mid-September, mercenaries have been moving to the conflict area, with “about 100 individuals in each group.”

A source connected to armed groups in Syria mentions that while hundreds of fighters have been sent, “dozens of mercenaries have returned, concerned about the fierce battles.” The article's source highlights that “the losses among Syrian fighters are rapidly increasing. About 200 who went to Nagorno-Karabakh have requested to be taken back.”

“Turkey has organized two weeks of military exercises in Azerbaijan and has provided ‘striking drones’ to the Azerbaijani authorities,” the author states. According to data from the U.S. military department, Turkey had earlier sent around 5,000 fighters from Syria to Libya. “Sending people to Libya or Azerbaijan has become a normal phenomenon. For people, it no longer matters what or whom they are fighting against; they only ask about money now. They will go where the money is,” insists the Syrian source for the newspaper.

“Turkish authorities deny allegations of sending fighters from Syria, while Azerbaijani authorities have stated that no mercenaries from Syria have been involved in the fighting,” the author concludes.