Syrian Opposition Fighters Trained by UK to Submit Data on Ensuing Activities

Opposition fighters will be trained by British specialists and will submit information on their post-training activities to the US-led coalition.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Syrian moderate opposition fighters that will be trained by the UK military specialists will submit information on their activities to the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, a source in the UK Ministry of Defence told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"In terms of after training, they are going to be supported by the [international anti-Daesh] coalition following the training so they will provide information to the coalition," the source said.

Earlier in the day, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced the United Kingdom will resume training of moderate Syrian opposition groups in various combat skills following a request from the United States to provide support to the restarted US Train and Equip Program. Fallon added that the trainees will undergo screening and monitoring before, during and after the training.

According to Tuesday's statement by the Ministry of Defence, the Syrian opposition fighters will be trained in medical, infantry and explosive hazard awareness skills.

The UK announcement comes on the background of the July 2016 decision by the United States to relaunch its $500 million-a-year program meant to train moderate Syrian opposition fighters to defeat Daesh terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The Train and Equip Program was initially canceled in October 2015 after a number of US-trained forces were quickly overrun by extremists while the US-provided weapons were reportedly handed over to the terrorist groups. A part of the US-trained forces defected and fought on the side of terrorists.

Since 2011, a civil war between government troops and a number of opposition factions and terrorist groups has been ongoing in Syria. The United Kingdom is a part of the US-led coalition that is carrying out airstrikes against Daesh, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia, the United States and other countries.