Wagner Group’s future in Syria in doubt

By Ahmet Karaahmet and Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - The fate of the Wagner paramilitary group in Syria is in doubt Tuesday.

The Russian group carries out military operations with hundreds of mercenary fighters deployed in different regions in Syria.

It began to appear in Syria after Russia’s military intervention in October 2015.

Mercenary fighters take part, alongside the Syrian Army and Iran-backed terror groups, in military operations organized by the regime against the opposition.

After tensions between the Kremlin and Wagner grew, the group faces an unknown future in Syria.

Wagner accused Russian forces of attacking its fighters on Friday and it subsequently crossed from Ukraine into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

In response, the Federal Security Service in Russia initiated a criminal case against Wagner for "armed mutiny."

Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled the uprising an act of "treason."

Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said his fighters would proceed to Moscow, prompting the Kremlin to enhance security measures across various regions.

He later claimed his fighters decided to turn back to avoid bloodshed when they were 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Moscow. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he held talks with Wagner's head after getting Putin's consent, and Prigozhin accepted a de-escalation deal.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi​​​​​​​