Foreign Fighters in Syria Transition from Rebel Ranks to New National Army

From the perspective of Syria’s emerging leadership, foreign fighters who stood with rebel groups to overthrow the Assad regime are considered steadfast allies loyal to the revolutionary cause.

Conversely, the United States associates many of these individuals with extremist organizations such as the Islamic State.

Since the onset of Syria’s multifaceted civil war in 2011, thousands of foreign nationals have joined the fighting. Some aligned with rebel groups, including the Islamist faction formerly led by Syria’s current president, Ahmed al-Shara, contributing to the eventual removal of President Bashar al-Assad in December.

As Syria’s government seeks to rebuild its armed forces after years of devastating conflict, some remaining foreign fighters are being incorporated into the new military structure, according to officials and fighters themselves. Requests for comment to Syria’s defense, foreign, and information ministries were not answered.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has expressed concerns about the presence of these foreign combatants, proposing measures such as their expulsion or barring them from holding senior military and governmental roles.

Ahmed al-Shara’s former rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, included numerous foreign fighters. He now faces the challenge of balancing his commitments to these individuals with efforts to foster diplomatic ties with nations that demand their marginalization or removal.