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S Y R I A I N T E L L I G E N C E R E P O R T 15th May 2018

The ninth round of Peace Talks in Astana continued on Tuesday. The second day of the talks saw the delegation of 24 Syrian Opposition representatives led by the former Syrian Interim Government Prime Minister Ahmed Touma. Citing Opposition sources, Turkey's Anadolu News Agency reported that the second day of the talks would concern the release of prisoners and hostages, as well as the completion of the ceasefire monitoring stations in Idlib by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The three guarantor countries, Russia, Turkey and are also expected to have a trilateral meeting before all delegations will convene for a final statement. Although the final statement is yet to be made, the head of the Syrian Government delegation, Bashar al-Jaafari, expressed his side’s satisfaction at the outcomes of the talks.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday evening, commenting on the protests in Gaza where around 50 Palestinians were killed. Unsurprisingly, the statement pinned the blame purely on the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), referring to the Monday's events as a “brutal massacre” and condemning it in the strongest terms. The statement also condemned the United States for its continued support for the IDF. The Ministry statement echoes similar statements from many other powers in the region, including that of Jordan, Turkey and many individual members of the Syrian Opposition, putting in a rare position of alignment with otherwise-hostile entities. Whether the mutual hostility towards Israel can serve as a platform for normalisation of relations between Damascus and the wider region remains to be seen. Notably, the war in Syria served to break the previously-cordial relations between Hamas and Damascus. Similarly, Turkish-Syrian relations remained sour during the low-point of the Turkish-Israeli relations around 2014 and 2015. On the other hand, a number of rebel factions based in southern Syria, such as the Golan Brigades, have defected to the pro-Government side after they came to view the war as benefiting Israel’s policies.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday morning, re-iterating that it does not intend to send troops to fight in Syria. The statement added that the issue is currently not on the table. Egypt was cited as a possible candidate for replacing the United States troops in the International Coalition forces in Syria as part of President Donald Trump's desire to increase Arab participation. Although the Egyptian Government had initially signalled that the deployment of Egyptian troops was a possibility, it subsequently rejected any such proposition.

Pro-Opposition sources reported that a Russian delegation in charge of negotiating reconciliation agreements has contacted the local council of the town of Mahajjah in northern . According to the reports, the delegation sought to either enter a reconciliation agreement with the rebels or facilitate an evacuation agreement. Daraa has been widely cited as the next target of SAA operations. However, the close proximity to the IDF-held Golan Heights risks causing a region-wide escalation. By co-opting rebel-held

For further information, contact Integrity UK on: [email protected] towns through negotiations, the pro-Government forces may be able to gain gradual control of the region without premature escalation of hostilities.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA)-affiliated Jaish al-Izza announced on Monday that some 100 fighters previously belonging to rebel factions in East Ghouta have joined its ranks. Although a relatively small unit, the development highlights a likely trend for the future of the displaced rebel fighters, suggesting that existing rebel factions will seek to recruit and co-opt such fighters to bolster their ranks. Factions such as Jaish al-Izza, which have been depleted by a string of unsuccessful offensives and infighting in the region, may find themselves replenishing their strength. Furthermore, given that Jaish al-Izza is one of the factions rumoured to be involved in a grand merger of rebel factions in Idlib, the co-option of Ghouta rebels could be a prelude towards larger developments.

Amidst these developments, clashes across Syria have continued. Heavy fighting between the SAA and the Islamic State (IS) continued in the Yarmouk Refugee Camp and its surroundings in southern Damascus City. On Monday evening, the SAA captured the Quds Mosque, followed by the Naqab neighbourhood on Tuesday.

Idlib continues to remain volatile. Overnight, there were reports of a member of Jaish al-Izza being killed in a drive-by shooting in Khan Sheikhoun. Khan Sheikhoun also witnessed the kidnapping of 1st Lieutenant Hamza Qaziz, the deputy commander of FSA-affiliated Faylaq al-Rahman. Qaziz was the leader of the group’s forces in the Arbeen District in East Ghouta.

Responding to the escalating situation, the rebel group Hayy'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has launched a campaign to track and arrest the assassins, reporting the dismantling of a cell as well as the capture of an individual who was in the process of setting up an IED between Ariha and Jisr al-Shugour. In a statement, the HTS security forces said that the arrestees had claimed to be part of Tanzim Hurras al-Deen. The statement added that this claim was deemed non-credible and that the attackers are likely linked to the IS.

Meanwhile, the frequency of airstrikes and shelling in the Greater Idlib region has picked up significantly over the past 24 hours. In northern Hama, airstrikes targeted the towns of Lataminah and Kafr Zita as well as the nearby villages of Zakat and Sakhr. In northwestern Hama, airstrikes targeted the villages of Tal Wasset and Zaiyara. In southern Idlib, airstrikes struck the towns of Ariha, Urem al-Joz, Bassanqoul, Rami and Mohambel. In western Aleppo, airstrikes continued to target the Zahraa District in the Aleppo City outskirts, as well as the nearby Layramoun Industrial Zone. Casualties were reported but the exact number remains unclear.

With the evacuation of the rebels and their families from the Rastan Pocket underway, the government forces have begun taking gradual control of the region over the course of Tuesday. The SAA entered most of the villages along the eastern side of the pocket on Tuesday, raising government flags. Subsequently, the government forces have taken control of the M5 Highway, although it remains unclear if the towns of Talbisah and Rastan themselves have been taken over yet. The exact status of the town of Houla also remains unclear. Although there were numerous reports of the rebel factions there refusing to evacuate or reconcile, reports of the evacuations in both pro-Government and pro-Opposition media referred to Houla being evacuated as well. So far, however, there were no reports of the Russian Military Police or the SAA entering Houla.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir ez-Zour continued their gains against the IS pocket along the Euphrates River. Having captured Baghuz Tahtani, the SDF has been reported to be pushing towards Baghuz Fawqani (thus suggesting that the initial reports of Baghuz being captured referred to Baghuz Tahtani) and Shajah. There were also reports of planes from Iraq conducting airstrikes on the village of Sousa and the town of Sha'fah. It remains unclear who conducted the airstrikes, however, as the Iraqi Air Force has made no statements on the matter.

For further information, contact Integrity UK on: [email protected]