Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — Turkey has begun supplying surface-to-air missiles to Sunni
rebels in Syria.

Diplomatic sources said Sunni rebels have received their first
Russian-origin SAM systems to stop Syrian Air Force strikes in the north.
They identified the systems were man-portable, shoulder-fired SA-7s that
stemmed from Libya.

“The weapons were financed by Qatar and will be used by jihadists
brought from Libya,” a source said.

The sources said the SA-7s arrived in Syria in late July in wake of
guarantees by the Syrian rebel command. They said the weapons would be operated only by the Turkish-based Free Syrian Army and its direct affiliates.

The U.S. television network, NBC News, reported that FSA has already received more than 20 SAM systems. NBC said the missiles were linked to support by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

But the sources said Washington insisted that only Soviet- or
Russian-origin equipment be supplied to FSA. They said rebel fighters were trained to use the SA-7s and more advanced missiles in training that took place in Turkey and other locations in June and July.

So far, there have been no reports of SAM rebel fire. In Aleppo, some
3,000 rebels, equipped mostly with light weapons and rocket-propelled
grenades, were trying to hold off thousands of Syrian troops, backed by T-72
main battle tanks, Mi-25 attack helicopters and MiG-29 fighter-jets.

  Aleppo, Free Syrian Army, Russian-origin SA-7s, Sunni rebels, Syrian rebels get first SAMs to counter Assad air strikes