Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, pursuant to Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 133654, on Syria: Armed Conflict, which armed Syrian opposition groups the UK has trained since 2012; and what was included in that training.

In 2016, through the Ministry of Defence, the UK participated in the US-led Train and Equip Programme, which aimed to train and equip screened members of the Syrian moderate opposition in the region at locations outside Syria. The training focused on basic infantry tactics, command and control, explosive hazard awareness training (EHAT) and medical training in order to build the capacity of forces whose operations on the ground against Daesh are being supported by the Global Coalition.

Through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund we have also funded some projects in which certain armed groups of the Syrian moderate opposition have been involved. These have included communications and medical training and, since 2015, projects to support stability in southern Syria. For security reasons, we do not disclose the names of those moderate opposition groups supported.