Iraqi Shiite Fighters Who Have Assisting The Syrian Army Are Now Rushing Back To Iraq To Confront The Sunni Uprising

Iraq: Battle-Hardened Fighters Return From Syria To Fight Isis At Home -- The Telegraph

Shia fighters with the Mahdi Army tell Colin Freeman how they have left the battle in Syria to return home and fight in Iraq.

Iraqi Shias who have fought alongside Bashar al-Assad's troops in Syria are returning home to defend their country from Sunni militants, The Telegraph has learned.

Battle-hardened fighters from the Mahdi Army, the Shia militia that waged war on US and British troops, have flocked back to Baghdad in recent days to counter the Sunni advance from the north.

The gunmen have spent much of the last two years in regime-controlled areas of Syria, where they fought fierce battles to defend Shia shrines from attack by Sunni extremists in rebel factions.

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Update: Thousands Of Iraqi Fighters Abandon Assad For Battles At Home -- AP

My Comment: Losing thousands of dedicated fighters is going to weaken Assad as well as his momentum after winning a series of military advancements in the past few months.