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Libyan Fighters Join Syrian Revolt Against Assad

(Reuters) Mariam Karouny - Veteran fighters of last year's civil war in Libya have come to the front-line in Syria, helping to train and organize rebels. Hussam Najjar hails from Dublin, has a Libyan father and Irish mother and goes by the name of Sam. A trained sniper, he was part of the rebel unit that stormed Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli, led by Mahdi al-Harati, a powerful militia chief. Harati now leads a unit in Syria that includes 20 members of his own Libyan rebel unit. The Libyans include specialists in communications, logistics, humanitarian issues and heavy weapons. They operate training bases, teaching fitness and battlefield tactics. Najjar said in the months since he arrived, the rebel arsenal had become "five times more powerful." Fighters had obtained large caliber anti-aircraft guns and sniper rifles.
2012-08-20 00:00:00
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