760 “Algerians” have been killed in war-torn Syria since 2011

The FIRIL Center for Studies in Germany has reported that 2,400 Algerians have joined the fighting in Syria since April 2011 – the beginning of the violent unrest – to late August 2017.

 The study shows that the number of Algerians is very small compared with the numbers of those who have joined the Syria fighting from other countries, whether Arab or Western.

The center, based in Berlin, published detailed statistics on the number of foreign fighters against Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The Turks ranked second with 26,400 fighters, of whom 7,720 were killed and another 420 are still reported missing.

For Algeria, which ranked in the penultimate position before Kuwait, as 2,400 fighters were registered, of whom 760 were killed, 65 others are still unaccounted for, a smaller number compared to the 12,800 Tunisians, 5,100 of whom were killed, the Iraqis  numbered 21,000, the Lebanese were estimated at 11,200, and the Egyptians were involved with 8,100 elements.

The study pointed out that the first operation involving a foreign fighter against the Syrian army, was carried out by a Lebanese fighter hailing from Akkar, on 10 April 2011, on the “Benayas highway,” and the same source noted that since April 2017, the number of foreign fighters began to decline because of the escape of thousands outside war-torn Syrian territory “.

The FIRIL Center’s information on the escape of foreign fighters from Syrian and Iraqi territory is consistent with the information provided by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Ismail Chergui, who confirmed that dozens of escapees were later spotted on the African coast and in Yemen.

Studies on the terrorist organization “Daesh” confirmed that the latter has been unable to secure a foothold in Algeria or to recruit young Algerians. 

In this connection, a  research study issued by the US Carnegie Center under the title: “There is no place for “Daesh” in Algeria”, highlighted the dismal  failure of the nefarious terrorist organization to infiltrate into Algeria owing to the steadfast vigilance of the combined national security services and the great awareness of the Algerian population across the national territory in terms of counter-terrorism struggle.