Russian fighter in Syria's Idlib swaps weapons for wasabi

Man from Dagestan opens 'Sushi Idlib' as work wanes for combatants in civil war

Islam Shakhbanov, a fighter from Russia's Muslim-majority Dagestan republic, outside his sushi restaurant in Syria's rebel-held city of Idlib. AFP

A Russian fighter in Syria has put down his weapons to open a small sushi restaurant in the rebel-held north-west of Syria, where the waning conflict has left combatants without a source of income.

Islam Shakhbanov, 37, from Russia's Muslim-majority Dagestan republic, said he headed to Syria in 2015 to take part in the war.

But after years of conflict, President Bashar Al Assad's government has regained control of most of the country and Syria's main front lines have largely frozen, putting many foreign fighters out of a job.

“In the end I opened this sushi restaurant,” Mr Shakhbanov said, standing near an advertisement banner displaying a fish, with slogans in Arabic, English and Russian.

Mr Shakhbanov said he fought alongside extremist factions among Syrian opposition groups, including Faylaq Al Sham, until about five years ago.

Faylaq Al Sham has acted as Turkey's proxy during several Turkish military campaigns on Syrian soil. It has also been the source of pro-Ankara mercenaries sent to battle in Libya on the side of the UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

The group fought fierce battles against the Russian-backed Syrian regime in Aleppo, Idlib and Latakia provinces in the north-west, and is considered close to the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mr Shakhbanov said he had lived in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, and was inspired to open “Sushi Idlib” after sampling Japanese cuisine during his travels.

He said it was the first sushi restaurant in Idlib, Syria's last main rebel bastion where many people depend on humanitarian aid.

The rebel-held region is home to about three million people, about half of them displaced by 12 years of war.

The enclave is controlled by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, and other rebel groups — some of whom count fighters from Central Asia and the Caucasus among their ranks.

Landlocked Idlib is surrounded by regime troops to the south but borders Turkey to the north, with the coast less than 25km away in some places.

Mr Shakhbanov said he imports many of his ingredients from Turkey, such as pickled ginger, soy sauce, prawns and crab.

Idlib was among the areas struck by a February 6 earthquake that collapsed buildings and killed tens of thousands, mostly in Turkey.

The sushi restaurant survived unscathed.

Behind the counter, two chefs, also former fighters from Russia, chopped fresh salmon and cucumber, spreading the ingredients on a bed of rice and seaweed before pressing everything into a roll.

The restaurant at first struggled to attract customers in the impoverished enclave where Japanese food is an oddity, but Mr Shakhbanov says his seaweed rolls are “affordable”.

A California roll sells for 60 Turkish lira ($3), double the price of a large shawarma sandwich more familiar to local residents.

He has about a dozen regular customers and hopes to attract more by adding fried dishes to the menu, he said.

Now married to a Syrian woman and with two young daughters, Mr Shakhbanov said he was ready to leave the sushi behind and taste combat again should divided rebel factions agree on a military strategy.

“I opened a restaurant,” he said, “but I did not abandon” the battle.