How many Syrian mercenaries are there?
Emily Schmidt
Updated on May 20, 2026
The analyst calls the figure of 40,000 registered fighters "incredible", especially given the size of the military groups in Syria and the logistical difficulties of moving thousands of people from Syria to Ukraine.
Are Syrian mercenaries?
Syria has grown in recent years into an exporter of mercenaries, a grim aftereffect of years of war that gave many men combat experience but so damaged the country's economy that people now struggle to find work.Where are Syrian fighters from?
Support for Syrian governmentThousands of Shia foreign fighters are in Syria from Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bahrain, with Shia militias. They fight on behalf of the Assad government, which is dominated by minority Alawites. The largest groups are Liwa Fatemiyoun and Hezbollah.