Both men said they had been told by their Syrian brigade commanders they would earn around $1,500 a month – a large wage for Syria, where the economy and currency have collapsed.

The fighter said he had arranged his assignment with an official from the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in Afrin, a region of northwest Syria seized by Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies two years ago.

A spokesman for the SNA, an umbrella group of Syrian rebel groups backed by Turkey, did not respond to a request for comment.

The other fighter, from the SNA-affiliated Jaish al-Nukhba militia, said he had been told nearly 1,000 Syrians were set to be deployed to Azerbaijan. Other rebels, who also declined to be named, gave figures of between 700 and 1,000.

The two men, who spoke to Reuters last week, said they expected to be despatched on Sept. 25, to guard facilities but not to fight. Reuters was not able to contact them on Monday to confirm their location.

In recent years, Turkey has projected growing power abroad with incursions into neighbouring Syria and Iraq, and military support for the internationally recognised government in Libya.

Turkey has repeatedly said it is also ready to provide support to Azerbaijan, with which it has strong historical and cultural ties and runs joint energy projects.

Rivalry with Russia

Defence Minister Hulusi Akar attended joint military drills in Azerbaijan in August, and Erdogan used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last week to accuse Armenia of attacking its neighbour.

Concern that Turkey could get more involved in the conflict helped drag its currency to a record low against the dollar on Monday.

Mustafa Sejari, a senior Syrian rebel, did not confirm the deployment of fighters to Azerbaijan but said Turkey was the “only hope” left for opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has retaken most rebel-held land in Syria with Russian and Iranian support.

“Our alliance with (Turkey) takes different forms and is truly a common fate,” he said. “I don’t rule out at all Turkey becoming a strategic choice for Syrian youths.”

Turkey has already used Syrian fighters to help block an assault on the Libyan capital Tripoli earlier this year by General Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army, backed by Russia among others.

Their use in Syria would create a third theatre for Turkey’s regional rivalry with Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, considers it a strategic partner in the South Caucasus, and supplies it with weapons. It has not commented on the reports of Syrian fighters being sent to Azerbaijan.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was following the situation very closely and that the conflict had to be resolved through diplomacy.

The sacrifices of Muslims, for Indian freedom struggle were purposely hidden. Let’s look into Indian History for  knowing the truth.

Famous Writer Mr. Kushwant Singh says: “Indian Freedom is written on Muslims’ blood, their participation in freedom struggle was much more,  in proportion to their small percentage of population.” 

There are 95300 freedom fighters’ names  written on India Gate, Delhi out of that 61945 are Muslim names which means 65% of freedom fighters were Muslims. 

The sacrifices of Muslims, for Indian freedom struggle were purposely hidden. Let’s look into Indian History for  knowing the truth.

Every Indian should know the innumerable facts and teach our children the truth!

In fact first freedom struggle was by Hyder Ali, and his son Tipu Sultan in 1780s and 1790s Mysorean rockets were the first iron-cased rockets, successfully deployed for military use.  Hyder Ali, and his son Tipu Sultan, used rockets and cannons effectively against the British invaders during the 1780s and 1790s. 

Every one knows that Rani Janshi fought to get the kingdom for her adopted child but how many of us know that Begum Hazrat Mahal was the unsung heroine of the first war of Independence, who shot the British ruler Sir. Henry Lawrence and defeated the British army in a decisive Battle at Chinhat on June 30, 1857.

Do you know that the organizer and leader of “First Indian freedom struggle” was Moulavi Ahamadullah Shah – many were killed, among them 90% were Muslims!  Ashfaqulla Khan was the first to be hanged at the age of 27 years for  conspiring against the British Raj.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was an Indian scholar and the senior Muslim leader of the Indian National Congress during the Indian independence movement.  In the picketing protest against ‘liquor shops ’ by Mahatma Gandhi,  10 participants were Muslims out of 19 participant! 

Last Mogul Emperor Badur Shah  was the first to strongly fight for Indian freedom which lead to 1857 independence struggle and  Rajiv Gandhi wrote Bahadur Shah’s grave:  “Although you (Bahadur Shah) do not have land in India, you have it here, your name is alive… I pay homage to the memory of the symbol and rallying point of India’s first war of independence….”

M.K.M Ameer Hamza, donated multi million rupees for Indian National Army (INA), he headed  Azad library reading propaganda of INA. His family is now  poor, living in a rented house at Ramanadhapuram Tamil Nadu. 

Memon Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani, donated almost his entire fortune of Rs 1 crore to the Indian National Army – a princely sum in those days by completely donating his entire asset  to Netaji’s INA.   Shah Nawaz Khan was a soldier, a politician, Chief officer and commander, in the Indian National Army (INA).

Netaji’s ministry had 19 ministers, 5 of them were Muslims.

Mother Beevimma, a Muslim lady donated over 30 lakhs rupees for Indian freedom struggle. 

Suraiya Thiyabji (a Muslim lady) designed current Indian National Flag.

Muslims used  Masjids for freedom struggle. When an Imam was addressing about Indian freedom in a Holy Masjid in  Uttar Pradesh, British Army shot all the Muslims in that Masjid – still you see the dried blood  of the freedom fighters shed on the walls of that Masjid.  Muslims ruled India over 800 years and they didn’t steal anything from India as British, Dutch and French did. 

Muslims lived here, ruled here and died here. They developed India into a unified and civilized country by bringing in abundant knowledge in Literature, Architecture, Judicial and Political structure, Government body and management structure, which is still used in Indian management strategy!

In Tamil Nadu  Ismael Shaheb and Maruda Nayagam fought against British for seven continuous year. They made British fear like hell.

We all know V.O.C (Kappalotiya Tamilzhan) – the first Sailor who sailed against West Indian Company in the Indian freedom war but how many  know that Fakkir Muhammed Rawther, was the one who donated that ship!

When VOC was arrested, Muhammed Yaseen was shot dead by British police for his demonstration  to release VOC. 

Tiruppur Kumaran (“Kodi kata kumaran”) participated in the Indian Independence movement . With Kumaran seven other participant were arrested – all were Muslims, Abdul Latheef, Akbar Ali, Mohideen Khan, Abdul Rahim, Vavu Shaheb, Abdul Latheef and Sheikh Baba Shaheb.

One can write thousands of pages as books, on the  sacrifice of Muslims for  the  Freedom of India but unfortunately, the domination of communal extremists, fanatic Hindus hid these truth and history is misrepresented in Indian History books.

In fact distorted history is rewritten to divide people for securing votes.

Patriotic Indians should be cautious not to fall a prey to evil politicians and work towards uniting all citizens for a strong and progressive Nation.