Old Photo of Fighter Wearing Turkish Patch Resurfaces Amid Recent Clashes in Syria
The Claim
These are in Syria shooting Syrians, no? Or is it better to say these are terrorist soldiers from another country invading Syria?
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Emerging story
Amid the recent clashes in Syria, social media users circulated a photo claiming to show an individual in military uniform wearing flag patches for the Free Syrian Army, ISIS, and Turkey.
An X user shared the photo with the caption: “These are in Syria shooting Syrians, no? Or is it better to say these are terrorist soldiers from another country invading Syria?”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating photo and found the claim to be misleading.
A thorough reverse image search found the photo making the rounds to be older than the ongoing clashes in Syria.
Old Photo of a Fighter Wearing Turkish Patch in Syria
Contrary to social media users' circulating claim, the photo is unrelated to the recent clashes between opposition factions and Syrian regime forces.
Misbar's team traced the photo back to its first publications online in September 2019. An X user uploaded the photo on September 2, 2019, without providing any additional context.
Misbar also discovered the same photo published on September 3, 2019, by the Documentation Violations Center in Northern Syria, a Syrian organization dedicated to documenting human rights violations since the start of the Syrian civil war.
Previous publishers of the photo did not share additional details about the location or the faction the mercenary was fighting for in Syria.
Turkey’s Role in the Ongoing Unrest in Syria
The Syrian National Army is one of the most prominent opposition factions. The group operates under the Turkish-backed Syrian Interim Government and is primarily based in areas under Turkish influence in northern and northwestern Syria.
The Syrian National Army was established in 2019 to unify and organize opposition armed factions into a single military entity affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government. It serves as the main military arm of the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition.
The Syrian National Army relies on Turkey for financial, military, and logistical support.
Reuters reported that opposition sources connected to Turkish intelligence revealed that Turkey is a supporter of the rebels and approved the recent offensive.
On Friday, Turkey’s foreign ministry said that the clashes between opposition factions and government forces escalated tensions.
Spokesperson Oncu Keceli emphasized that Turkey prioritizes preventing further instability in the region. Keceli added that Turkey warned against recent attacks on Idlib, stating they jeopardize the spirit and execution of de-escalation agreements.
Syrian Opposition Factions Take Control of Aleppo City
The Syrian army announced on Saturday that a major rebel offensive killed dozens of its soldiers as opposition factions seized large parts of Aleppo in the northwest.
The surprise assault, spearheaded by the opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, disrupted the frontlines.
Fighting reignited near the Turkish border, with the army stating it is preparing a counteroffensive to regain control.
The Syrian army command confirmed that the opposition entered significant areas of Aleppo, a city under full government control.
Two opposition sources claimed that the opposition factions also captured the city of Maraat al-Numan in Idlib province, effectively taking control of the entire province.
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