SAS troops will lead top secret plan to train Syrian rebels to break deadlock in war-torn country
Scheme aimed at creating a formidable fighting force equipped to take on evil regime
HUNDREDS of SAS troops will spearhead the war on ISIS under top secret plans to train Syrian rebel forces.
The elite soldiers were pictured inside Syria for the first time this week.
It was thought they were defending a base used by the Western-backed New Syrian Army, a 200-strong rebel group that has been battling ISIS in the south-east of the country.
But sources now say the 12-man team were on a sortie to scout out a training mission to begin in the next six weeks.
Insiders said tours for SAS forces on the ground have been extended and scores more crack forces are readying to deploy.
Under the plans, bases have been established inside Jordan to train the New Syrian Army with SAS skills.
Senior sources said the freshly trained troops will go into battle with SAS forces – creating a formidable fighting force equipped to break the deadlock in Syria.
One source said: “Tours have been extended and more are going to the region.
“The Government is throwing absolutely everything at this, money and manpower, everything is being hurled at the problem.”
The new mission had been held up while candidates are vetted to prevent IS fighters infiltrating the make-shift soldiering schools.
Another source added: “The aim is to raise the level of training and capability for these forces.
“As we understand the vetting process has now been agreed, it has been a challenge, as many of these guys are ‘clean skins’ they have little background data that can be checked other than their word.
“But the Americans have established a simple but robust process that we will need to monitor and observe throughout the trainees’ time in the camps. The biggest threat is of infiltration by ISIS”.
Sources say Special Forces fighters are now operating a secret war on twisted ISIS inside Iraq, Syria, Libya and Tunisia, while using Jordan as a base to launch strike missions.
The vehicle they were pictured using are Jordanian Al-Thalab long range fighting trucks – hinting at the close relationship with Jordan’s forces.
Based on the chassis of Toyota Land Cruiser, the tough desert trucks, boast a top speed of 87mph.
A 4.5 litre V8 turbo-charged intercooled engine can be added along with a five-speed manual gearbox.
Those pictured in June had been modified to carry a 50.cal heavy machine gun and General Purpose Machine gun, while Javelin anti-tank missiles are strapped to the bonnets.
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Stretchers and ladders are also secured to the side and one soldier carries a combat tourniquet in his shoulder pocket.
Each vehicle can carry enough gear for a 10 day fighting patrol over the most unforgiving terrain.
This new training missions comes as UK Ministers expressed concern at the plans after a US backed programme to train the New Syrian Army was abandoned last year after only a few volunteers arrived for training.
Three weeks ago Islamic State fighters captured a video from a New Syrian Army soldier which showed American and UK officers, from the advance party, with a Jordanian officer being interviewed for an internal training introduction.
UK Special Forces are currently liaising with leaders of the New Syrian Army who have accepted the training offer and will start moving soldiers into Jordan within weeks for medical, communications and infantry training.
The SAS troops are currently identifying an assembly area inside Syria for the New Syrian Army, where those who have been passed security checks will be flown into Jordan, sources say.
Senior sources have revealed that the UK training force will include a large number of specialists to deliver medical and communications training as well as infantry teams who will instruct on weapons and tactics.
Britain built two training in camps in Jordan last year and in February held a major ‘mission rehearsal’ called exercise Channel Storm in which more than 1,600 troops from 3 UK Division took part in wargames.
The two camps at Al-Quweira are in a remote and highly secure area in south-west Jordan which can accommodate more than 3,000 personnel under canvas, with the US manning one camp and the British the other.
The camps were built by the Royal Engineers and funded by the US in co-operation with the Jordanian government whose military has been support the Coalition air war for more than 12 months.
The New Syrian Army is a group of Syrian Arab army defectors who formed themselves into the militia force in November 2015 with the sole aim of defeating Islamic State.
An MoD spokesman, said: “We do not comment on Special Forces.”