A new report by journalist Honar Ahmed reveals that Syrian mercenaries are actively fighting alongside the Turkish army in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
Ahmed’s videos and interviews with local villagers confirm that these fighters, who speak Arabic with a Syrian accent, are present in the Metina Mountains in the Amediya district of Duhok Governorate. The estimated number of Syrian mercenaries working with Turkish forces exceeds 600.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has disclosed for the first time that Turkey is reportedly using ISIS fighters in its operations. PUK spokesperson Saadi Ahmed Pire stated on 2 July, “We have conclusive evidence with names and photographs showing that more than 300 ISIS members are with the Turkish occupying forces in the Barwari region of Duhok Governorate.” He emphasised that ISIS fighters have joined both the Turkish Armed Forces and Erbil’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) special forces in their invasion of the Barwari region in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. “I have their names and faces. I will provide them to anyone who wants,” he added.
Additionally, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has consistently confirmed the presence of Syrian mercenaries fighting alongside the Turkish army in various locations across Duhok Governorate.
