Photo Does Not Show Recently Deployed Foreign Fighters with Syrian Opposition Forces
The Claim
Moderate rebels, original Syrian revolutionaries in Aleppo.
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Amid the recent clashes in Syria, social media users widely circulated a photo claiming to show foreign mercenaries fighting alongside opposition factions against the Syrian regime.
An X user shared the photo with a comic caption, saying, “Moderate rebels, original Syrian revolutionaries in Aleppo.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral photo and found the claim to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the photo to be older than claimed.
Old Photo of Foreign Mercenaries Resurfaces Amid Syria Clashes
Misbar’s investigative team debunked the photo's claim, confirming that the photo is unrelated to the ongoing clashes between Syrian regime forces and opposition factions.
Misbar traced the photo back to April 5, 2016, when a Syrian page uploaded it to Facebook, mocking Syrian fighters with the caption, “Syrian revolutionaries from Mongolia.”
The original photo shows two fighters, who appear to be mercenaries, posing in front of an ISIS flag.
Another X account shared the same photo on May 29, 2016, using the Al-Fallujah hashtag.
At the time, users linked the photo to the unrest in Iraq involving clashes between the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces and ISIS.
In addition, the Lebanese newspaper Addiyar uploaded the photo to a published article in October 2016, which reported on the Egyptian Mufti at the time discussing a hadith about the fate and appearance of ISIS.
Misbar’s team could not find the exact date and location of the photo, as Iraqi and Syrian users shared it multiple times without any additional context.
Assad Flees As Opposition Factions Topples the Regime
On early Sunday, Syria’s opposition forces announced the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule after fighters stormed Damascus.
A group of fighters declared live on Syrian national television that they had toppled the “tyrant al-Assad” and freed all prisoners from a major Damascus prison.
Earlier on the same day, fighters reached the heart of Damascus, proclaiming a “new era” of unity without revenge and urging Syrians abroad to return home. On November 27, the opposition seized Syria's cities and secured control over Aleppo, Hama, and large parts of southern Syria.
The opposition reported that al-Assad, whose family ruled Syria for over 50 years, fled the capital, though his current location remains unknown.
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