ISIS foreign contingent in Syria doubles, study says

The number of foreign fighters among the ranks of Islamic State in Syria has doubled over the last 16 months and now stands at approximately 27,000, who are mostly from various Arab countries, the US-based Soufan research institute said Tuesday. The largest group is Tunisians, accounting for about 6,000, with Saudis (2,500) second and Russia (2,400) third, followed by 2,100 fighters from Turkey and 2,000 from Jordan. The study also claimed that about 5,000 ISIS fighters come from various countries in Europe, with 20 to 30 percent returning to their countries of origin. Among the Europeans are 1,800 French, 760 Britons, 760 Germans and 470 Belgians, the study said.