Syria’s foreign-backed opposition says it is going to ask the United States for “sophisticated” weapons for use by its militants against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On Friday, the so-called Syrian National Coalition said foreign-backed opposition leader Ahmad Jarba was set to travel to the US on Wednesday to seek more weapons.
“Ahmad Jarba will pay an eight-day visit to Washington at the head of a delegation from May 7,” his office said in a statement.
It added that the delegation includes the new chief of staff of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir.
“He will meet US officials to discuss the supply of sophisticated weapons to the FSA to enable it to change the balance on the ground,” read the statement.
Jarba will meet with a number of US officials including US Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, according to the statement.
The announcement came just weeks after the opposition admitted that a “Western source” supplied them with 20 US-made TOW anti-tank missiles, vowing more of them in the future.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Over 150,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.
According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
