Some 30,000 Foreigners Joined Militants in Syria, Iraq Since 2011

About 30,000 fighters reportedly joined militant groups in Syria and Iraq, primary ISIL, since 2011.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — About 30,000 fighters from over 100 countries joined militant groups in Syria and Iraq, primary the Islamic State (ISIL), since 2011, The New York Times reported citing US intelligence assessment.

According to the media's report, over 250 US citizens travelled to the Middle East, including 150 fighters that joined the militants during the last 12 months.

“Despite Pentagon reports that coalition strikes have killed about 10,000 Islamic State fighters, the group continues to replenish its ranks, drawing an average of about 1,000 fighters a month,” the report stressed.

The ISIL, a radical Sunni group, has ceased vast areas in Syria and Iraq, spreading radical ideology and committing numerous human rights atrocities, including beheading of religious minorities representatives and foreign hostages posted online.

Washington has been leading a coalition of over 60 countries, conducting airstrikes against the positions of the militants in Iraq and Syria, since 2014.

Last week, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with Russian media that the US-led international coalition against ISIL had failed since the militant group has been shown to have expanded its operations in the country despite the air campaign.