US Actively Attracting IS Members As Mercenaries To Fight In Ukraine - Russia's SVR

The United States is actively recruiting members of the Islamic State international terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) to participate in hostilities in Ukraine as mercenaries, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2022) The United States is actively recruiting members of the Islamic State international terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) to participate in hostilities in Ukraine as mercenaries, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Tuesday.

"According to information received by the Foreign Intelligence Service, the United States is actively recruiting even members of international terrorist organizations as mercenaries to participate in hostilities in Ukraine, including the Islamic State (IS) group, banned in the Russian Federation," the report says.

Jihadist special forces are targeting sabotage against the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, the SVR said.

"In April, with the participation of US intelligence services, about 60 IS fighters aged 20 to 25 were released from prisons controlled by Syrian Kurds.

undergoing combat training for the purpose of subsequent transfer to Ukrainian territory," the statement says.

US base At-Tanf in Syria has turned into a terrorist "hub," where militants loyal to the United States were also trained for transfer to Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service said.

"According to the SVR, the specified military base and its environs have long turned into a kind of terrorist 'hub,' where up to 500 IS members loyal to Washington and other jihadists are being 'retrained' at the same time. Priority is given to natives of the states of Transcaucasia and Central Asia. The training 'course' in At-Tanf includes training in the use of available types of anti-tank missile systems, reconnaissance and strike drones MQ-1C, advanced communications and surveillance equipment," it said.