(Zaman Al Wasl- Exclusive)- Six Syrian rebels were killed in Azerbaijan while fighting the Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Sources confirmed that the slain fighters were buried in different areas of northern Syria, after their bodies were transported by military aircraft from camps in Azerbaijan to Turkey, and then to northern Syria by military trucks.
After Turkish and Azerbaijani officials insistently denying any participation of armed Syrian opposition fighters alongside the Azeri army in the recent battles with the Armenian forces, more and more Syrian names that were killed in the conflict started to emerge, proving that the previous statements are far from the truth. This, however, raises many questions about the interest of Syrians in participating in a foreign conflict.
Zaman Al-Wasl was able to make contact with one Syrian militant who is currently in Azerbaijan, to answer some of these questions.
We asked the following questions to Hatem, a pseudonym, whom we interviewed through WhatsApp, which he has access to through a Libyan line.
Q: Can you give up a short introduction?
A: My name is “Hatem”, I am 23 years old, I have a high school diploma, and I come from a poor family that previously worked in agriculture and do not hold any extremist ideas.
Q: Do you have combat experiences? Have participated in previous battles? What is the name of your previous faction, if any?
A: Yes, I have many experiences in the northern countryside of Hama and the southern countryside of Idlib against the Assad and Russian forces and in the fight against the Islamic State in the northern countryside of Aleppo. I was with the Ahrar al-Sham Movement in Idlib.
Q: Have you ever been to Libya? If yes, how was your experience there and how long have you stayed there?
A: Yes, I went to Libya and stayed there for 4 months, as an escort to one of the leaders of the National Army. I was not in any danger since I was far from the front lines.
Q: When did you hear about going to Azerbaijan? And how did you register to go there? How long was the registration period?
A: About a month and a half ago, I registered through the leadership of the faction that I currently work with (preferred not to publish the name of the faction) it took five days between registration and departure.
Q: What did they tell you about the nature of the mission there?
A: They told me that my mission is a border guard and protecting bases, a non-combat mission.
Q: How much are they paying you and do you know the source of the salary? Is it in lira or dollar? Are there any of your relatives there?
A: The salary is 10,000 Turkish liras (over $1,200), with an allowance of 1,500 liras before travelling. No, none of my relatives are there.
Q: Weren’t you afraid to go there?
A: I was hesitant at first, because we did not know the land or the language, and the registration period was very short.
Q: When did you leave Syria for Azerbaijan? How long did you stay in Turkey and how long did the trip take?
A: I left Syria on September 23, and stayed in Turkish territory for 48 hours before traveling to Azerbaijan.
Q: Did you receive any military training before leaving? How many Syrian fighters are with you currently? And from which factions?
A: I did not get any military training since I am already trained. Most of the fighters are competent.
Q: How many are you? Are all of them affiliated with the Syrian armed opposition?
A: There are around 1,000 fighters, all of them affiliated with the factions of the National Army.
Q: When did you arrive in Azerbaijan? Were you transported by civilian or military aircraft? Did you go to a military point after landing there?
A: I arrived on September 25, and we were transferred by a military plane and then immediately transported by trucks to a military point.
Q: What is the name of the area you are in now?
A: Karabakh and this is my location (sends the site on WhatsApp).
Q: Are all the Syrians stationed on the front lines or is there a section on guard duty away from the fighting?
A: A section fighting and a section on guard duty.
Q: There are reports of Syrians being killed in the confrontations there. Is it true?
A: Yes, there are dead and wounded, all caused by bombing and not by direct confrontations.
Q: What is your first impression of Azerbaijan?
A: I did not expect that there would be a real war. I thought it was a guarding mission through which I could improve my living situation.
Q: What do you know about the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan? How do you feel about being involved in a foreign conflict?
A: I know that there are clashes between the two countries, but I do not have any details on the nature of the conflict nor the land.
Q: The Armenians are saying that the Syrians fighting there are dangerous jihadists? What do you think of this claim?
A: This is false. Most of us fought against ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front, and there are no fighters with jihadist ideologies.
Q: How long will you stay there? Do you want to return to Syria?
They told us we will be there for three months, and if the period is extended, I wouldn’t mind until orders are given to go back to Syria. However, there are fighters, if given the chance, would go back immediately because of the intensity of the clashes, the inability to fight and the constant fear.
Zaman Al-Wasl was able to cross check the information provided by “Hatem” with the family of one of the fighters who were recently killed in Azerbaijan. The source believes that his relative, Ahmed Kina Farzat, was the victim of the policies of countries that did nothing about the crimes committed by the Assad regime.
Farzat was a first lieutenant when he defected from the regime forces and joined the ranks of the First Corps led by First Lieutenant Abdul Razzaq Tlass, in 2012. According to our source, Farzat refused the “reconciliation” that took place in 2018 and preferred to go to northern Syria. Between going to Idlib or to Euphrates Shield, he chose the second option and joined the ranks of Sultan Murad faction, which is now part of the National Army.
According to the source, like many factions, the leader of Farzart’s faction sent a group of officers to fight in Azerbaijan. Since refusal to go had heavy consequences, they were forced to go on Thursday, September 24, passing through the Kilis military border crossing in the northern countryside of Aleppo to the Gaziantep airport, then to Istanbul Airport and from there to Azerbaijan.
One week after his arrival, Farzat was killed while trying to rescue one of his fighters, who was injured on the battlefield. Ahmed Kinan Farzat was promoted to the rank of Major before his death. The news of his death shocked his family, who found themselves once again mourning the loss of one of their sons, after they discover that his brother was killed under torture in Sednaya prison through the Caesar photographs.
One question left unanswered is how the Syrians who started up fighting for their freedom and dignity against a ruthless dictator turned to mercenaries who fight and kill for money? And who is responsible for that?
The names of Syrians killed in Azerbaijan:
Muhammad Shaalan from the countryside of Aleppo, Atarib.
Hussein Talha from the countryside of Aleppo, Anjara.
Mahmoud Najjar and Abdul Hanan al-Abd al-Razzaq from the countryside of Aleppo, Marea.
Kinan Farzat, Yasser Farzat, Bilal al-Taybani, and Walid al-Ashtar from the countryside of Homs, Rastan.
Muhammad Khaled al-Shishah from Idlib countryside, Maarat al-Nu`man.
Abu Qasim al-Zaghloul from Damascus countryside, Hajar al-Aswad.
Zaman Al Wasl
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