SITE Intel Group – HTS News in SyriaSeptember – September 19-25, 19-25, 2018 2018 SITE Intelligence Weekly Report HTS E S I S RI
IDLIB: Military Training Video
EXECUTIONS: GOOGLE PLAY: Operations Against Ebaa Releases a News App ISIS and SAA
siteintel roup om1 SITE Intel Group – HTS News in Syria – September 19-25, 2018
Table of Contents
HIGHLIGHTS: SEPTEMBER 19-25, 2018 3 FEATURED ARTICLE 3 Post-Sochi Agreement 3 HTS OPERATIONS 4 Operations Against IS 4 Hama 4 Idlib 5 Operations Against SAA 5 HTS MEDIA 6 HTS Training Video 6 Maintaining Positions 6 Idlib 6 Ebaa News App 7 Friday Demonstrations 7 Airstrikes 7
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2 SITE Intel Group – HTS News in Syria – September 19-25, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS: SEPTEMBER 19-25, 2018
FEATURED ARTICLE: HTS digs into its positions following the Sochi Agreement. HTS OPERATIONS: Two operations against IS in Idlib and Hama; One operation against SAA in Idlib; Executions of IS and SAA elements. HTS MEDIA: Video of HTS military training in Idlib; Fortification and maintenance of HTS positions in Idlib; Ebaa releases a news app on Google Play; More demonstrations in Idlib; Airstrikes.
FEATURED ARTICLE
POST-SOCHI AGREEMENT
HTS has yet to release an official statement following the Sochi Agreement reached between Turkey and Russia on Monday, September 17, which resulted in the creation of a buffer zone around Idlib. While HTS’ “Salvation Government” released a statement on September 19 it makes no mention of the Sochi agreement. Media output from Ebaa and Amjad, HTS’ media networks, have released several reports reinforcing Julani’s August 22 speech. However, they also offered no official statement from HTS about the September 17 agreement. The common thread for HTS media output following the Sochi Agreement has so far been the continuation of its media for the past months; highlighting fortifications of “military” positions and “popular support” from the people. • HTS’ “Salvation Government” released a statement on September 19 in Arabic with English, Russian, and Turkish translations. The “Message to the Global Public Opinion” reiterates Julani’s August Eid al-Adha speech including the reinforcement of HTS’ defenses and deception by the Syrian regime. The statement also incorporates the demonstrations that have occurred over the last three Fridays against the Syrian regime and Russia. Below is the original Arabic statement accompanied by the translations.
THE ORIGINAL ARABIC STATEMENT AND THE RUSSIAN TRANSLATION. 3 SITE Intel Group – HTS News in Syria – September 19-25, 2018
THE TURKISH AND ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS. • Ebaa published statements and a video criticizing the Sochi Agreement. In several reports, the network likened the agreement to the one in Srebrenica in the 1990s “where a massacre took thousands of Muslim lives, mostly men, after disarmament.” Ebaa also criticized Turkey’s role in the agreement stating that “it was trying to benefit as much as possible.” In a report on September 19, Ebaa accused the terms of the Sochi Agreement of aiming to “weaken the mujahideen and disarm them.”
HTS OPERATIONS
HTS continued its operations in Hama and Idlib against “reconciliation” with the Syrian regime and IS, whom it calls the “Baghdadi gang.” There were two operations against IS and one against SAA. HTS’ “security apparatus” held a public execution of 5 IS operatives and 1 SAA element.
OPERATIONS AGAINST IS
HAMA • .On September 22, HTS’ “security apparatus” arrested two individuals they claim to be IS elements in the Hama area; Abu Ahmed al-Muhajir, the “deputy governor” of the IS Hama Province and Abu Hajar al-Hamawi, the “commander” of the “Fifth Battalion” which follows the Hama Province.
ABU AHMED AL-MUHAJIR, THE “DEPUTY GOVERNOR” OF IS’ ABU HAJAR AL-HAMAWI, THE “COMMANDER” OF THE “FIFTH HAMA PROVINCE. BATTALION.” 4 HTS perationsSITE Intel Group ainst – HTS News inIS Syria an – September S 19-25, 2018 S
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