Foreign Fighters To Iraq And Syria Have Doubled In 16 Months

Newsweek: Report: Number of Foreign Fighters in Iraq and Syria Double to 31,000

The number of foreign fighters who have entered Syria and Iraq to fight for militant groups, such as the Islamic State (ISIS), has more than doubled in 18 months, according to a new report.

There are now between 27,000 and 31,000 foreign fighters from 86 countries who have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join armed groups, more than double the 12,000 identified in June 2014, according to the Soufan Group, a New York–based international consultancy firm. The number of recruits from Western Europe has more than doubled in 18 months, while those from Russia and Central Asia have increased by nearly 300 percent, according to the report. The number of foreign fighters from North America has “remained relatively flat” since last year.

WNU editor: The Soufan Group's report on foreign fighters coming into Syria and Iraq is here .... Foreign Fighters: An Updated Assessment Of The Flow Of Foreign Fighters Into Syria And Iraq (Soufan Group).

More News On The Doubling Of Foreign Fighters In Iraq And Syria

Chart: The number of foreign fighters in Syria surged in 2015 -- Washington Post
Number of foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria doubles in a year, report finds -- The Guardian/AFP
Report: Foreign fighters to Syria, Iraq to fight for ISIL doubles -- Politico
Syria conflict: Number of foreign fighters 'doubled in 16 months' -- BBC
Number of foreign fighters pouring into Syria and Iraq has more than DOUBLED: ISIS has helped swell numbers past 27,000 in past year alone -- Daily Mail
Foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria have doubled in past year, report says -- ABC News (Australia)
Foreign fighters in Syria have doubled since 2014 -- The Hill
Despite Clampdown on Foreign Fighters, Extremists Ranks Swelling, Study Finds -- WSJ
Ex-British Spy Chief: Militants in Syria Attract 31,000 Foreign Fighters -- VOA
Foreign fighters in Syria, Iraq have doubled since anti-ISIL intervention -- Al Jazeera
ISIS Foreign Fighters Double? Islamic State In Syria And Iraq Could Grow More Dangerous As It Weakens, Report Says -- IBTimes
Foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria come from 86 countries—and their numbers have doubled -- Quartz