Syria’s interim government has appointed members of foreign jihadist groups to certain defense ministry roles as the new administration seeks to unite the region’s numerous insurgent factions into one national army, according to a report by Reuters.
Two sources in Syria informed the news outlet that out of 49 senior military positions recently staffed, at least six were taken by personnel with connections to Islamist institutions outside the country. These individuals include an Albanian, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, several Uyghurs, and a Turk.
Some of the incoming officers are reportedly from militias designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and other Western nations.
"This is a small token of recognition for the sacrifices Islamist jihadists gave to our struggle for freedom from Assad's oppression," an unnamed associate of the leading rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was quoted as saying.
The new leadership in Syria had previously signaled that some non-residents who helped in the ousting of former dictator Bashar al-Assad might be granted citizenship in acknowledgment of their involvement.
Related Story: State Department, U.S. Intel Memos Unmask Longtime Terrorism Ties of Syria’s New Governing Regime
