Foreign Fighters Gets Senior Syrian Army Posts

The new Syrian authorities are reported to have given some foreign Islamist fighters senior official posts in the country’s armed forces.

The army is being re-organised by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the Islamist group that is now effectively in charge of the country – following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

There’s been no confirmation by the new leadership of the move, but it seems likely to raise concerns inside and outside Syria over the role such foreign militants may play in the country’s future.

Their presence in Syria during the 13-year civil war helped turn the conflict even more violent and brutal.

Jihadists from abroad were seen as trying to impose their extremist ideology on Syria – something which Syrians from all communities are now saying that they will not accept in the country’s future after Assad.

Several Syrian sources have deduced that out of almost 50 new military roles that have been announced, at least six have gone to foreigners.

Based on the names that have been published, they are said to include Chinese Uyghurs, a Jordanian and a Turkish national. All are said to have been given high-ranking positions as colonels or brigadier-generals.

The role of foreign fighters in various armed groups during the civil war is one that stirs strong feelings in Syria.

The new authorities are putting a lot of weight on a National Dialogue Conference that is being prepared to bring together representatives from all sections of society – although no date has been set.

The hope is that the conference will set in motion the process to rebuild the institutions of the broken and divided country.

BBC/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma