Syria is home to a substantial population of
Chechens who emigrated there due to the
Caucasian War and later the
Chechen–Russian conflict. The initial Chechen migrants sometimes clashed with local Arab and
Druze settlers, though they later peacefully integrated into Syrian society. After the
Syrian civil war's outbreak in 2011, however, about 3,000 Chechen militants also travelled to Syria in order to wage
jihad there, and formed numerous anti-government militias. The most notable Chechen-led groups in Syria were
Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, the
Caucasus Emirate (Syrian branch),
Junud al-Sham and
Ajnad al-Kavkaz. The hostility of Chechens to the Assad regime was strengthened by the close relationship between
Russia and its client Assad, and the long historical Chechen–Russian conflict. Chechen soldiers also fought on Assad’s side - they were mostly sent by
Chechnya's pro-Kremlin leader
Ramzan Kadyrov. ==Population==