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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

27th April 2018

On Thursday evening, the Russian-organised briefing on the chemical attack in Douma took place in the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The briefing included presentations from Russian officials who claimed that there were no people killed or injured during the attack, there were no witnesses alleging chemical attacks taking place, and the state of the two cylinders found on the site on the attack did not fit the story of them being dropped from helicopters. The briefing also brought forward 17 witnesses, including the 11 year-old Hassan Diab who was filmed getting doused with water in the Douma hospital after the attack. Diab had subsequently told Russian media that he participated in the video for food. In the briefing, both Diab and his father told observers that they did not believe there was a chemical attack. The OPCW subsequently interviewed six of the 17 witnesses. The briefing was condemned by the United States, United Kingdom and France who described it as a “despicable stunt” and a “theatre” that misused and undermined the OPCW. Critics also noted that while Diab appeared to be doused with water as a precautionary measure despite not showing any symptoms, other videos clearly showed people suffering from after-effects such as foaming at the mouth or corneal burns. Claims and counterclaims such as these by both sides will only serve to muddle the findings further, meaning that by the time the OPCW actually publishes its findings, it will have very limited legitimacy.

The US' Secretary of Defence, James Mattis, met with the Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday evening. The meeting, which took place in the Pentagon, focused on the reports of Russian and Iranian weapons being shipped to . Commenting on the reports of Russia providing the S- 300 missile systems to Syria, Mattis criticised Moscow for contributing to the fighting in the country and called for a political solution. Mattis also cited Iran as the greatest regional threat and expressed hope that a concrete step can subsequently be produced between himself and Lieberman. Mattis' words come amidst an escalating war of words between Iran and Israel over Syria. As the two defence ministers met, there were reports in the US media overnight that US satellites, surveillance aircraft, drones and ships have stepped up their activities along the Syrian coast. In conjunction, there were reports of the Syrian and Russian air defences stepping up their preparedness in anticipation of an Israeli airstrike.

Amidst these developments, clashes across Syria have continued. Airstrikes on the Islamic State (IS)-held Yarmouk Refugee Camp in Damascus City paused briefly overnight as a result of the heavy rain engulfing much of the city, which resulted in the flooding of many areas. Airstrikes, as well as the push by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allied militias, continued on Friday morning, with pro-Government sources announcing making gains in the al-Joura, al-Asali neighbourhoods and the 30th Street of the Hajar al-Aswad District. The SAA also pushed into the Zayn neighbourhood after the rebels in Yalda reportedly allowed the loyalist forces to cross through the district in a bid to flank the IS militants. Despite the gains by

For further information, contact Integrity UK on: [email protected] the pro-Government forces, however, the IS still retains the ability to shell Damascus City, having targeted the Bayader Nader neighbourhood northwest of the Yarmouk Refugee Camp, killing one and injuring four.

In northern , the rebel offensive launched against the SAA in northern Hama continued overnight. In addition to the Tanzim Hurras al-Deen and the FSA-affiliated Jaish al-Izza, the attack was also joined by Jabhat Inqadh, an FSA affiliate that was formerly part of Jaish al-Nasr, and Ansar al-Tawhid, a group that was formed from the remnants of Jund al-Aqsa that did not defect to the IS. Meanwhile, some pro-Opposition sources claimed that Hayy'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) did not join the offensive. On late Thursday night, the rebels announced the capture of the village of Hamamiyat, near Kurnaz. However, it would appear that the village was lost to the SAA on Friday morning, with pro-Government fighters not only reporting the recapture of the village but also showing images of captured equipment and deceased rebel fighters. Since then, the SAA has been shelling much of northern Hama and southern Idlib, targeting the towns and villages of Kafr Nabuda, Lataminah, , al-Sakhr and in particular.

Attacks and assassinations in the Idlib Province escalated rapidly overnight, with more than 17 people reported killed over the course of 24 hours alone. In addition to the two killings in Binnish and Ma'arat Nu'man reported yesterday, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) stated the following incidents happened overnight: One person of unknown affiliation was shot in Sarmada; an official of Jaish al-Izza was assassinated last in Khan Sheikhoun and two Ansar al-Tawheed militants were found dead this morning; an official of Ahrar al-Sham (now part of Jabhat Tahrir Suriya) was attacked in Tah but survived; a security guard of Ahrar al-Sham was shot at the side of a road in Meshmashan; a non-Syrian rebel fighter for an unknown group was shot in Idlib City; a fighter of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) was shot near Jisr al-Shugour; a pharmacist was shot dead in the village of Jubas; a checkpoint belonging to Faylaq al- Sham was attacked, although it remains unknown if anyone was killed; three displaced people from Zabadani and three fighters of the TIP were killed near the town of Armanaz and; most recently, the renowned Jihadist ideologue Abdullah al-Muhaysini was either shot or attacked with an IED, injured but surviving. No group has taken responsibility for the attacks, which appear to have targeted groups across the political and military spectrum, leaving little clarity as to whether they may be coordinated. The Idlib City council has ordered a night curfew for three days in response to the crisis.

There were also reports of an assassination taking place in northern Aleppo where pro-Opposition sources claimed that the insurgent group Harakat al-Qiyam killed Abu Ali Barad, the leader of Jaish al- Thuwar, one of the few FSA-affiliated factions of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). The attack has not yet been confirmed and the group has not announced his death on social media so far.

There were also reports of a series of clashes in southern Syria on Friday. The FSA-affiliated Lions of the Golan Division reported skirmishes with pro-Government militias near the town of Awfania in the northern Quneitra countryside. There were also reports of the FSA near the Yarmouk Basin engaging in skirmishes with the IS-affiliated Jaish Khalid Ibn al-Walid near the towns of Hayt and Bakar. No gains or losses were reported in either attack.

In Deir ez-Zour, pro-Government sources reported that the SAA pushed further into the IS pocket in the Syrian Deser, reporting the capture of the Hasyan area along the southeastern edges of the militant territory.

Pro-Government sources also reported on Friday morning that unknown persons have raised the flags of the Syrian Government in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-held village of al-Hamam, southwest of Raqqa City. No group or individual claimed the raising of the flag, but it was likely conducted by the Popular Resistance in the Eastern Regions, the pro-Government insurgent group which claimed a similar operation in Raqqa City.

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