Kabul Rejects Reports on Recruitment of Afghan Nationals for Syria War
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Afghanistan’s foreign ministry on Monday dismissed the recent reports by the Western media that Afghan nationals have been forced to fight in Syria.
Afghan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Shakib Mostaghni told reporters in his weekly press conference that claims about Afghans being forced to take part in the Syria war were investigated but there has been no proof to verify the claims.
“No proof or evidence was found to show that the Islamic Republic of Iran forcibly sends Afghans for fighting in Syria,” he underlined.
The Wall Street Journal carried an article on Thursday asserting that “Iran has been recruiting thousands of Afghan refugees to fight in Syria, offering $500 a month and Iranian residency to help the Assad regime beat back rebel forces…”
It seems that raising such baseless allegations against Iran are nothing but an attempt to divert attentions from the role of the West in supporting and arming terrorists and rebels in Syria.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. Damascus says the Western powers and their regional allies have been fuelling the unrest in the country by providing terrorist militants with money and weapons.
In a latest development, intelligence officials from several countries are reportedly scheduled to meet in the city of Antakya in Turkey to discuss plans aimed at stopping the progress of the Syrian army in its battle against the militants in Syria.
The meeting between intelligence officials from the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey will take place in Antakya, which is located near the border with Syria, next week.
According to a report by Press TV, the officials reportedly plan to discuss the establishment of new fronts in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo to prevent the progress of the Syrian army forces. The officials will also discuss further support for foreign-backed militants in Syria during the meeting.
