Syria's new rulers have installed some foreign fighters including Uyghurs, a Jordanian and a Turk in the country's armed forces as Damascus tries to shape a patchwork of rebel groups into a professional military,

Syria's new leadership has integrated foreign jihadists into its armed forces, including Uyghurs, Jordanians, and Turks, as part of efforts to professionalize rebel groups. The move raises concerns and questions from neighboring countries and citizens,

The new Syrian authorities are reported to have given some foreign Islamist fighters senior official posts in the country's armed forces. The army is being re-organised by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that is now effectively in charge of the country following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

The Defense Ministry announced Sunday that at least six of the 49 new military appointments involve foreign nationals. Three were given the rank of brigadier-general, while others were named colonels.