DOCSLIB.ORG

Spotlight on Global Jihad (April 26 – May 2, 2018)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Spotlight on Global Jihad (April 26 – May 2, 2018) רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ה ש ל מ ( ( למ מ"ל Spotlight on Global Jihad April 26 – May 2, 2018 Main events of the week This week, the Syrian army recorded achievements in its campaign to take over the southern suburbs of Damascus from ISIS. The Syrian army forces advanced inside the Yarmouk refugee camp and took control of most of the Al-Qadam neighborhood to its west. In addition, the Syrian army took control of part of the Al-Hajar Al-Aswad neighborhood, south of the Yarmouk refugee camp. The Syrian army’s advance is supported by artillery fire and airstrikes, causing civilian casualties (36 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the campaign). The operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham, a jihadi organization and one of ISIS’s rivals, began to leave the Yarmouk refugee camp for the Idlib region after reaching an evacuation agreement with the Syrian regime. In eastern Syria, the US-backed SDF launched an operation called “Island Storm.” Its goal is to mop up the border area between Syria and Iraq from the presence of ISIS operatives. Afghanistan continues to be the only arena where ISIS systematically initiates attacks against its opponents, in contrast to other countries where ISIS is on the defensive. This week, ISIS carried out a number of attacks, the most prominent of which was a double suicide bombing attack in the compound of the Afghan National Directorate of Security, which is a preferred target of ISIS. This elaborate attack was carried out in stages: first a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the compound. When journalists arrived to cover the incident, a second suicide bomber, posing as a photographer, blew himself up. Around 30 people were reportedly killed in the attack, nine of them media people. 113-18 2 Syria The campaign to take over the southern suburbs of Damascus The Syrian army continues its campaign to take over the southern suburbs of Damascus held by ISIS, mainly the Yarmouk refugee camp. At this stage, it seems that the Syrian army has had quite a few achievements: According to the Syrian News Agency, ISIS has lost control of most of the Al-Qadam neighborhood (west of the Yarmouk refugee camp) and part of the Al-Hajar Al-Aswad neighborhood (south of the Yarmouk refugee camp). The Syrian army proceeds while using artillery bombardment and airstrikes against ISIS targets and routes by which ISIS and other organizations transfer operatives and supplies. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that since the beginning of the campaign, 36 civilians were killed, as well as at least 85 Syrian army soldiers and operatives of the militias supporting it, and 74 ISIS operatives (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 29, 2018). ISIS control areas in the Yarmouk refugee camp (center) and the neighborhoods surrounding it, as published by Amaq News Agency before the beginning of the campaign (Akhbar Al-Muslimeen, March 20, 2018). The Syrian attack mainly targets the Yarmouk refugee camp (center) and the Al- Hajar Al-Aswad neighborhood (bottom, south of the Yarmouk refugee camp) 113-18 3 Fighting in the Al-Qadam neighborhood Right: Syrian army soldiers in the Al-Madhaniya neighborhood, south of the Al-Qadam neighborhood. Left: Syrian army soldiers in the Al-Madhaniya neighborhood. An embankment and a checkpoint set up by ISIS in the neighborhood are visible in the background (SANA, April 28, 2018) Right: Syrian army soldiers celebrating in the Al-Madhaniya neighborhood after its takeover. Left: Part of an ISIS network of tunnels exposed by the Syrian army in the Al-Madhaniya neighborhood (SANA, April 28, 2018) Right: Syrian army soldier inside a fortified position in the Al-Asali neighborhood, in the southern part of the Al-Qadam neighborhood. Left: A bus serving as a roadblock in the Al-Asali neighborhood (SANA, April 29, 2018) The attack on the Al-Hajar Al-Aswad neighborhood The Al-Hajar Al-Aswad neighborhood, south of the Yarmouk refugee camp, is an important ISIS stronghold. The Syrian army entered the neighborhood on April 27, 2018, and advanced there using several routes at the same time. Due to the battles, families of ISIS 113-18 4 operatives fled the neighborhood (and the Yarmouk refugee camp) to the villages of Yalda and Babila, east of the neighborhood. The Syrian forces attacked these supply and escape routes, and as a result, traffic and supplies from Al-Hajar Al-Aswad towards the east stopped ("Al-Yarmouk camp is in our hearts" Facebook page, April 27, 2018; Butulat Al-Jaysh Al-Suri, April 25, 2018). An agreement has reportedly been achieved to evacuate the rebel organizations’ operatives and the civilians from these two neighborhoods and from another neighborhood (Beit Sahm) to the areas of Idlib and Daraa (Mukhayyam Al-Yarmouk News, April 29, 2018). Fighting tactics in the Yarmouk refugee camp The Syrian army attacked ISIS operatives in the Yarmouk refugee camp while using bulldozers and tanks to blaze trails in the camp. On April 29, 2018, the Syrian army released a video showing a bulldozer and tanks of the Syrian army working in the refugee camp. The bulldozer was seen blazing a route for the tanks in the narrow streets and breaking through earth embankments to enable the tanks to pass through them and shell ISIS operatives in the camp (haol alaalam 24 YouTube Channel, April 29, 2018). Right: Bulldozer near Syrian army tanks in one of the streets in the Yarmouk refugee camp. Left: Syrian army bulldozer blazing the way for the tanks to advance through an embankment in the Yarmouk refugee camp (haol alaalam 24 YouTube Channel, April 29, 2018) Right: Syrian army tank in the Yarmouk refugee camp attacking ISIS targets after a bulldozer blazed a way for it to pass through an embankment (haol alaalam 24 YouTube Channel). Left: Syrian army soldiers advancing in the Yarmouk refugee camp under the protection of a tank (the soldier Wassim Eissa’s YouTube channel, April 27, 2018) 113-18 5 Right: Tank of the Syrian army’s Republican Guard Brigade. Left: Syrian army tank attacking targets of ISIS and the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham (the soldier Wassim Eissa’s YouTube channel, April 27, 2018) ISIS’s version of the fighting in south Damascus On May 1, 2018, ISIS announced that its operatives had killed 30 Syrian soldiers who tried to advance to the outskirts of the Yarmouk refugee camp and to the Al-Hajar Al-Aswad neighborhood. ISIS released photos of the execution of a Syrian officer captured in the fighting (Haqq, May 1, 2018). ISIS’s Amaq News Agency announced that the organization’s operatives had halted a Syrian army attack in the Al-Tadamon neighborhood (north of the Yarmouk refugee camp). ISIS also announced that 16 Syrian army soldiers had been killed by sniper fire in the fighting in the neighborhoods of south Damascus (Haqq, April 29, 2018). Preparations for the execution of a Syrian officer (Haqq, May 1, 2018) ISIS’s Damascus Province released a video entitled “The Muslims are [one] Camp”. The video documents fighting by ISIS operatives against the Syrian army and ISIS’s rival organization, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham. The video contains harsh criticism of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham for evacuating areas in the neighborhoods south of Damascus and surrendering them to the Syrian regime instead 113-18 6 of ISIS. The video calls on ISIS operatives to continue fighting while believing in their just cause. It also calls on all Muslims to join them (Haqq, April 28, 2018). From the video: ISIS operatives fighting in south Damascus (Haqq, April 28, 2018) Evacuation agreement of operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham According to Syrian TV, an agreement was reached, according to which operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham would be evacuated to Idlib in two stages. At the background of the agreement is the evident inferiority of the operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham in south Damascus against the Syrian army, and their reluctance to fight alongside ISIS (the organization’s relations with ISIS are still tense in spite of the Syrian army’s attack). The implementation of the evacuation agreement started on April 30, 2018. The evacuation agreement, as stated above, includes two phases: As part of the first phase, operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham will be evacuated from the Yarmouk refugee camp to Idlib. In return for this move, residents of the besieged Shiite villages of Kafraya and Al-Fu’ah (about 7 km northeast of Idlib) will be allowed to evacuate 1,200 inhabitants (out of about 5,000) from the villages. The rest of the besieged residents (about 3,500) will be evacuated in the second phase of the agreement. In addition, it was stipulated that 85 residents of the village of Ashtabraq, about 29 km southwest of Idlib (near Jisr Al-Shughur), would be returned to the Syrian army. The village has been besieged by the rebel organizations (Syrian TV; SANA, April 29, 2018). The implementation of the agreement started on April 30, 2018. On that day, five buses with evacuees left the Yarmouk refugee camp. They included dozens of operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham (SANA, April 30, 2018). At the same time, dozens 113-18 7 of buses entered the villages of Al-Fu'ah and Kafraya in order to evacuate about 1,500 residents (Al-Durar Al-Shamiya, April 30, 2018).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Syria: 'Nowhere Is Safe for Us': Unlawful Attacks and Mass
    ‘NOWHERE IS SAFE FOR US’ UNLAWFUL ATTACKS AND MASS DISPLACEMENT IN NORTH-WEST SYRIA Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2020 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Cover photo: Ariha in southern Idlib, which was turned into a ghost town after civilians fled to northern (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. Idlib, close to the Turkish border, due to attacks by Syrian government and allied forces. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode © Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2020 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: MDE 24/2089/2020 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS MAP OF NORTH-WEST SYRIA 4 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 2. METHODOLOGY 8 3. BACKGROUND 10 4. ATTACKS ON MEDICAL FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS 12 4.1 ATTACKS ON MEDICAL FACILITIES 14 AL-SHAMI HOSPITAL IN ARIHA 14 AL-FERDOUS HOSPITAL AND AL-KINANA HOSPITAL IN DARET IZZA 16 MEDICAL FACILITIES IN SARMIN AND TAFTANAZ 17 ATTACKS ON MEDICAL FACILITIES IN 2019 17 4.2 ATTACKS ON SCHOOLS 18 AL-BARAEM SCHOOL IN IDLIB CITY 19 MOUNIB KAMISHE SCHOOL IN MAARET MISREEN 20 OTHER ATTACKS ON SCHOOLS IN 2020 21 5.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Direction of Which Ariel Sharon's Disengagement Plan Forms a Part Is the Most Significant Development in Israe
    FRAGMENTED SYRIA: THE BALANCE OF FORCES AS OF LATE 2013 By Jonathan Spyer* Syria today is divided de facto into three identifiable entities. These three entities are: first, the Asad regime itself, which has survived all attempts to divide it from within. The second area is the zone controlled by the rebels. In this area there is no central authority. Rather, the territory is divided up into areas controlled by a variety of militias. The third area consists of majority-Kurdish northeast Syria. This area is under the control of the PYD (Democratic Union Party), the Syrian franchise of the PKK. This article will look into how this situation emerged, and examine its implications for the future of Syria. As the Syrian civil war moves toward its The emergence of a de facto divided Syria fourth anniversary, there are no signs of is the result first and foremost of the Asad imminent victory or defeat for either of the regime’s response to its strategic predicament sides. The military situation has reached a in the course of 2012. By the end of 2011, the stalemate. The result is that Syria today is uprising against the regime had transformed divided de facto into three identifiable entities, from a largely civilian movement into an each of which is capable of defending its armed insurgency, largely because of the existence against threats from either of the regime’s very brutal and ruthless response to others. civilian demonstrations against it. This These three entities are: first, the Asad response did not produce the decline of regime itself, which has survived all attempts opposition, but rather the formation of armed to divide it from within.
    [Show full text]
  • WHEAT VALUE CHAIN ASSESSMENT North West - Syria June 2020
    WHEAT VALUE CHAIN ASSESSMENT North West - Syria June 2020 Shafak & MH Europe Organizations Contents 1 Humanitarian Needs Overview ............................................................................................................................ 2 2 Methodology and Approach................................................................................................................................... 3 3 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 4 Locations .................................................................................................................................................................... 6 5 Assessment Findings ................................................................................................................................................ 7 5.1 Affected population demographics: ............................................................................................. 7 5.2 Affected people main occupation: ................................................................................................ 7 5.3 Agriculture land-farmers: ................................................................................................................... 9 5.4 farmers Challenges: ............................................................................................................................. 10 5.5 Main Cultivated Crops: ......................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Ongoing Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria
    A NEW NORMAL Ongoing Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria February 2016 SYRIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY C1 Above: Bab Al Hawa Hospital, Idlib, April 21, 2014. On the cover, top: Bab Al Hawa Hospital, Idlib, April 21, 2014; bottom: Binnish, Idlib, March 23, 2015. ABOUT THE SYRIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) is a non-profit, non-political, professional and medical relief orga- nization that provides humanitarian assistance to Syrians in need and represents thousands of Syrian American medical professionals in the United States. Founded in 1998 as a professional society, SAMS has evolved to meet the growing needs and challenges of the medical crisis in Syria. Today, SAMS works on the front lines of crisis relief in Syria and neighboring countries to serve the medical needs of millions of Syrians, support doctors and medical professionals, and rebuild healthcare. From establishing field hospitals and training Syrian physicians to advocating at the highest levels of government, SAMS is working to alleviate suffering and save lives. Design: Sensical Design & Communication C2 A NEW NORMAL: Ongoing Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria Acknowledgements New Normal: Ongoing Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria was written by Kathleen Fallon, Advocacy Manager of the Syrian Amer- A ican Medical Society (SAMS); Natasha Kieval, Advocacy Associate of SAMS; Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Senior Advisor and Past President of SAMS; and Dr. Houssam Alnahhas of the Union of Medical Care and Relief Or- ganizations (UOSSM), in partnership with many SAMS colleagues and partners who provided insight and feedback. Thanks to Laura Merriman, Advocacy Intern of SAMS, for her research and contribution to the report’s production.
    [Show full text]
  • Cry Havoc Règles Fr 20/07/17 10:50 Page1
    ager historique UK_cry havoc règles fr 20/07/17 10:50 Page1 HISTORY & SCENARIOS ager historique UK_cry havoc règles fr 20/07/17 10:50 Page2 © Buxeria & Historic’One éditions - 2017 - v1.0 ager historique UK_cry havoc règles fr 20/07/17 10:50 Page3 SELJUK SULTANATE OF RUM Konya COUNTY OF EDESSA Sis PRINCIPALITY OF ARMENIAN CILICIA Edessa Tarsus Turbessel Harran BYZANTINE EMPIRE Antioch Aleppo PRINCIPALITY OF ANTIOCH Emirate of Shaïzar Isma'ili COUNTY OF GRAND SELJUK TRIPOLI EMPIRE Damascus Acre DAMASCUS F THE MIDDLE EAST KINGDOM IN 1135 TE O OF between the First JERUSALEM and Second Crusades Jerusalem EMIRA N EW S FATIMID 0 150 km CALIPHATE ager historique UK_cry havoc règles fr 20/07/17 10:43 Page1 History The Normans in Northern Syria in the 12th Century 1. Historical background Three Normans distinguished themselVes during the First Crusade: Robert Curthose, Duke of NormandY and eldest son of William the Conqueror 1 Whose actions Were decisiVe at the battle of DorYlea in 1197, Bohemond of Taranto, the eldest son of Robert Guiscard 2, and his nepheW Tancred, Who led one of the assaults upon the Walls of Jerusalem in 1099. Before participating in the crusade, Bohemond had been passed oVer bY his Younger half-brother Roger Borsa as Duke of Puglia and Calabria on the death of his father in 1085. Far from being motiVated bY religious sentiment like GodfreY of Bouillon, the crusade Was for him just another occasion to Wage War against his perennial enemY, BYZantium, and to carVe out his oWn state in the HolY Land.
    [Show full text]
  • A/68/958–S/2014/547 General Assembly Security Council
    United Nations A/68/958–S/2014/547 General Assembly Distr.: General 1 August 2014 Security Council English Original: Arabic General Assembly Security Council Sixty-eighth session Sixty-ninth year Agenda item 70 (a) Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance: strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations Identical letters dated 29 July 2014 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council On instructions from my Government, I should like to convey to you the position of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic regarding the fifth report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2139 (2014): 1. In keeping with its firm position that the humanitarian situation and its implications are the Syrian State’s top priority, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic has marshalled all its resources to meet the pressing need to provide shelter, food and medicine to all civilians who have been affected by the crimes committed by armed terrorist groups. Since 2011, it has worked to meet the needs of its citizens, in keeping with its constitutional responsibility towards them, and has cooperated with the United Nations and its agencies in the provision and delivery of humanitarian assistance to persons affected by the crisis. 2. In that regard, it reaffirms its readiness to continue to cooperate with the United Nations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all affected Syrian citizens, without discrimination.
    [Show full text]
  • SYRIA - IDLEB Humanitarian Purposes Only IDP Location - As of 23 Oct 2015 Production Date : 26 Oct 2015
    SYRIA - IDLEB Humanitarian Purposes Only IDP Location - As of 23 Oct 2015 Production date : 26 Oct 2015 Nabul Al Bab MARE' JANDAIRIS AFRIN NABUL Tadaf AL BAB Atma ! Qah ² ! Daret Haritan Azza TADAF Reyhanli DARET AZZA HARITAN DANA Deir Hassan RASM HARAM !- Darhashan Harim Jebel EL-IMAM Tlul Dana ! QOURQEENA Saman Antakya Ein Kafr Hum Elbikara Big Hir ! ! Kafr Mu Jamus ! Ta l ! HARIM Elkaramej Sahara JEBEL SAMAN Besnaya - Sarmada ! ! Bseineh Kafr ! Eastern SALQIN ! Qalb Ariba Deryan Kafr ! Htan ! Lozeh ! Kafr Naha Kwaires ! Barisha Maaret ! ! Karmin TURKEY Allani ! Atarib ! Kafr Rabeeta ! Radwa ! Eskat ! ! Kila ! Qourqeena Kafr Naseh Atareb Elatareb Salqin Kafr ! EASTERN KWAIRES Delbiya Meraf ! Kafr Elshalaf Takharim Mars ! Kafr ! Jeineh Aruq ! Ta lt i t a ! Hamziyeh ! Kelly ! Abu ! Ta lh a ATAREB ! Kaftin Qarras KAFR TAKHARIMHelleh ! Abin ! Kafr ! Hazano ! Samaan Hind ! Kafr ! Kuku - Thoran Ein Eljaj ! As Safira Armanaz ! Haranbush ! Maaret Saidiyeh Kafr Zarbah ! Elekhwan Kafr - Kafr ! Aleppo Kafrehmul ! Azmarin Nabi ! Qanater Te ll e m ar ! ! ! ! Dweila Zardana AS-SAFIRA ! Mashehad Maaret Elnaasan ! Biret MAARET TAMSRIN - Maaret Ramadiyeh Elhaski Ghazala -! Armanaz ! ! Mgheidleh Maaret ! ARMANAZKuwaro - Shallakh Hafasraja ! Um Elriyah ! ! Tamsrin TEFTNAZ ! Zanbaqi ! Batenta ! ALEPPO Milis ! Kafraya Zahraa - Maar Dorriyeh Kherbet ! Ta m sa ri n Teftnaz Hadher Amud ! ! Darkosh Kabta Quneitra Kafr Jamiliya ! ! ! Jales Andnaniyeh Baliya Sheikh ! BENNSH Banan ! HADHER - Farjein Amud Thahr Yousef ! ! ! ! Ta lh i ye h ZARBAH Nasra DARKOSH Arshani
    [Show full text]
  • “Targeting Life in Idlib”
    HUMAN RIGHTS “Targeting Life in Idlib” WATCH Syrian and Russian Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure “Targeting Life in Idlib” Syrian and Russian Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure Copyright © 2020 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62313-8578 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.hrw.org OCTOBER 2020 ISBN: 978-1-62313-8578 “Targeting Life in Idlib” Syrian and Russian Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure Map .................................................................................................................................. i Glossary .......................................................................................................................... ii Summary ........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • West Bank Lebanon Saudi Arabia Turkey Jordan Syrian Arab
    ER AP 0 P A ON . D Syrian Arab Republic-Turkey hub: Number of organisations Providing Nutrition Activities,(January to September 2015) TE IN PR Turkey Azaz E Tall Al-Hassakeh Refaat Al Bab Daret B Azza Haritan Harim Dana Jebel Salqin Saman Kafr Atareb Takharim Zarbah Aleppo Maaret Armanaz Teftnaz O Tamsrin Hadher Darkosh Bennsh Ar-Raqqa Janudiyeh Idleb Sarmin T Saraqab Rabeea Idleb Ariha Ehsem Maarrat Kafr An Numan Nobol Sanjar Heish Lattakia Madiq Khan Tamanaah Castle Shaykun Legend Kafr Hamra Zeita Coastline Districts boundary International boundary Sub-Districts boundary Hama Deir-ez-Zor Syrian Arab Governorate boundary Tartous Number of organisations providing Republic Nutrition activities Homs 1 - 3 Homs 4 - 6 7 - 8 Lebanon Acronyms U5 Under-Five PLW Pregnant and Lactating Women CMAM Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition SAM Severe Acute Malnutrition MAM Moderate Acute Malnutrition Aug,2I01r5 aqSep,2015 10 16 Organizations 32 38 Sub-districts Arbin Rural 124,756251,833 Beneficiaries Reached Haran Alawameed Damascus Quneitra Dara Israel As-Sweida Jordan 110 Kilometers West This map is based on available data at sub-district level only. * Humanitarian reach to a sub-district does not necessarily Bank imply full geographical coverage or coverage of all the needs Saudi Arabia in the sub-district. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement . Creation date: 10/21/2015 Sources: Nutrition partners from Turkey hub Feedback: [email protected] Or [email protected] ER AP
    [Show full text]
  • Weekly Conflict Summary | 18 – 24 March 2019
    WEEKLY CONFLICT SUMMARY | 18 – 24 MARCH 2019 WHOLE OF SYRIA SUMMARY • NORTHWEST | Three Turkish military patrols in the Idleb de-escalation zone had little effect on the elevated levels of conflict this week. Elsewhere, signs of internal tensions between factions in the pocket were also seen, especially in Umm Seir, Armanaz, Kafr Takhrim and Idleb City. • SOUTH | Assassinations against individuals aligned with the government of Syria continued this week, with two incidents recorded in Muzayrib and Sanamayn. Elsewhere, an ISIS ambush of a Syrian Army patrol on the Tadmor – Deir Ez Zor Highway, comes a month after an anti-ISIS operation in the area. • NORTHEAST | Despite the total collapse of the last remaining ISIS pocket in Baghuz Fawqani Village this week, ongoing conflict continues to affect the security environment in northeast of Syria. Hassakah Aleppo Idleb Deir Ezzor Damascus Daraa Figure 1: Dominant Actors’ Area of Control and Influence in Syria, 24 March 2019. NSOAG stands for Non-state Organized Armed Groups. For more explanation on our mapping, please see the footnote on page 2. WEEKLY CONFLICT SUMMARY | 18– 24 MARCH 2019 NORTHWEST SYRIA1 Government-initiated conflict, namely shelling, in the Idleb pocket remained at an elevated level this period, with 201 incidents recorded in addition to 211 events last week. This was despite three Turkish Military patrols in the Al Ais, Jebel Saman, and Murak areas of the Idleb de-escalation zone on 18, 19, and 23 March. The Turkish military has conducted at least six patrols since 8 March, without a clear impact on the overall conflict trend in the Hayyat Tahrir al Sham-dominated (HTS) enclave (Figure 2).
    [Show full text]
  • The Best of Bad Options for Syria's Idlib
    The Best of Bad Options for Syria’s Idlib Middle East Report N°197 | 14 March 2019 Headquarters International Crisis Group Avenue Louise 149 • 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 • Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Preventing War. Shaping Peace. Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Idlib’s De-escalation and the Sochi Memorandum .......................................................... 3 III. Idlib’s Rebel Scene ............................................................................................................ 6 A. Hei’at Tahrir al-Sham ................................................................................................ 7 1. HTS’s administrative and economic project ........................................................ 9 2. HTS’s ambiguous identity .................................................................................... 13 B. Other Jihadists ........................................................................................................... 17 1. Hurras al-Din/Wa-Harridh al-Mu’mineen operations room .............................. 17 2. Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria ........................................................................... 19 3. Miscellaneous jihadists .......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Syria - Displacements from Northern Syria Production Date : 25/08/2016 IDP Locations - As of 16 August 2016
    For Humanitarian Purposes Only Syria - Displacements from Northern Syria Production date : 25/08/2016 IDP Locations - As of 16 August 2016 Total number of IDPs: 749,275 BULBUL Raju " RAJU Shamarin Talil Elsham ² Krum Zayzafun - Ekdeh Gender & Age SHARAN Shmarekh Sharan Kafrshush Baraghideh " Tatiyeh Jdideh Maarin Ar-Ra'ee Salama AR-RA'EE " Nayara Ferziyeh A'ZAZ Azaz " Azaz Niddeh 19% MA'BTALI Sijraz Yahmul Maabatli Suran " Jarez " Kafr Kalbein 31% Maraanaz Girls under 18 Al-Malikeyyeh Kaljibrin AGHTRIN Afrin Manaq Akhtrein Boys under 18 " " Sheikh El-Hadid " Mare' Women " A'RIMA Tall Refaat 24% " Men Baselhaya TALL REFAAT AFRIN Deir Jmal MARE' Kafr Naseh Tal Refaat 26% Kafrnaya JANDAIRIS Jandairis " Nabul AL BAB " Al Bab " NABUL Tal Jbine Tadaf " Shelter Type Hayyan T U R K E Y Qah Atma Selwa Random gatherings HARITAN Andan Haritan TADAF Unfinished houses or Daret Azza " " buildings Reyhanli Kafr Bssin Other Qabtan Eljabal Tilaada Individual tents DARET AZZA A L E P P O Babis Deir Hassan - Darhashan Hur Maaret Elartiq Kafr Hamra Rented houses DANA Hezreh - Hezri Termanin Dana Anjara Foziyeh Harim " Bshantara RASM HARAM EL-IMAM Open areas " Tqad Majbineh Aleppo Antakya Ras Elhisn " Total Tlul Kafr Hum Ein Elbikara Aleppo HARIM Tuwama Hoteh Under trees Kafr Mu Tlul Big Hir Jamus QOURQEENA Tal Elkaramej Sahara JEBEL SAMAN Um Elamad Alsafira Besnaya - Bseineh Sarmada Oweijel Htan Tadil Collective center Ariba Qalb Lozeh Barisha Eastern Kwaires " Bozanti Kafr Deryan Kafr Karmin Abzemo Maaret Atarib Allani Radwa Kafr Taal Kafr Naha Home Kafr
    [Show full text]