Syrian rebels give foreign mercenaries key roles in military: Reuters

Two Syrian sources told Reuters that out of a total of almost 50 military roles announced by the defense ministry of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) administration, at least six had gone to foreign nationals.

Pundits believe that the move to assign official roles, including high-ranking ones, to several militants could alarm some foreign governments and Syrian citizens fearful about the intentions of the new rulers in Syria.

Thousands of foreigners joined militant groups in Syria when the crisis began in 2011.

On December 8, militants, led by the HTS, took control of Damascus and declared an end to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule in a surprise offensive that was launched from their stronghold in northwestern Syria, reaching the capital in less than two weeks.

The HTS administration has repeatedly claimed they would respect the rights of all sects and religions in Syria.

The situation, however, remains very fluid and fragile, with a potential risk of further clashes as sectarian sentiments continue to boil over, amid the ongoing political instability and pressures on minority groups.