The militants who fought in Idlib against the Syrian army were on a salary from the United States.
This was told by the former colonel of the Syrian Arab army, Sultan Aid Abdella Souda, who had previously defected and joined the terrorist group Magavir al-Saura.
Souda was detained in February by the special services of the Arab Republic, when he tried to return to the territory controlled by the government. Journalists managed to get a recording of the interrogation.
The deserter said that, having joined the jihadists, he was subordinated to American instructors. It was they who trained the militants of sabotage activities. The Americans also planned operations for terrorists and paid salaries. Souda, in his words, received $ 500.
The militants also supplied equipment to the US military. There was no shortage of weapons, as they were imported in large volumes through Jordan and Saudi Arabia. So, the terrorists were given either Chinese weapons or NATO weapons. Souda noted that the latter was the best.
“When training with American specialists was completed, they [the militants] were sent east, to the Euphrates region. There were sabotage. Most often – to oil facilities or infrastructure controlled by the government. The goal was to intimidate people and inflict damage”, – said the former gunman.
He noted that initially all such operations were carried out within a radius of 55 kilometers from the base “Et-Tanf”, where the American armed forces are located. Then the situation changed dramatically: the curators reported a reduction in funding, but those wishing to earn more were offered to go beyond the 55-kilometer zone.
“Some militants were sent to Hasaka province, others to Idlib”, – Souda continued, noting that against this background, the number of militants around Al-Tanf was significantly reduced.
As you know, it was in Idlib that a fierce confrontation unfolded recently between the Syrian troops and terrorists. This region is the last major stronghold of militants in the republic, and Damascus seeks to free it in order to end the war.