More than 16 thousand foreign mercenaries from about 90 countries have been fighting in Syria since the beginning of 2012. This was stated by Senior Advisor of the US State Department Robert Bradtke.
"According to intelligence reports, in January 2012 more than 16 thousand foreign mercenaries arrived in Syria from more than 90 countries, including the United States. These mercenaries, many of whom joined the groups Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations are threatening the population of Syria and Iraq and destabilizing the region as a whole," Bratke's statement, submitted at a hearing in the US House of Representatives, was quoted by RIA Novosti.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, in recent times over 2700 "representatives of Western countries" and more than 100 US citizens have travelled as mercenaries to Syria.
"These mercenaries, when in Syria, are becoming even more radical, and after returning home, including to the United States, may try to commit terrorist acts alone or in coordination with others," the department's spokesman Tom Warrick said.
The armed conflict has been continuing in Syria since March 2011, with the UN estimating the number of victims at more than 200 thousand people. Government forces are confronted by militias belonging to various armed groups. The most active group, Islamic State, announced on June 29 about the establishment of an "Islamic caliphate" on territories that are under control of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
