Syria: Idlib insurgents pull out of key rebel town
Idlib’s main insurgent group on Tuesday pulled out of the strategic town of Khan Sheikhoun — which had been held by rebels since 2012 — as government forces advanced amid intense bombardment and airstrikes, a militant group and opposition activists said.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, al-Qaida’s former Syria affiliate, said in a statement that its fighters carried out “a re-deployment,” withdrawing to areas south of Khan Sheikhoun.
As the rebels withdrew, government forces moved into the town’s northern and western neighborhoods.
Syria’s state broadcaster said government troops expanded their presence in the area, without giving further details.
“The victories that were achieved show the determination of the people and the army to strike terrorists, until all parts of Syria are liberated,” Syrian President Bashar Assad said, according to comments released by his office cited by the Associated Press news agency (AP).
Read more: Syria’s Idlib caught between hell and a hard place
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The dictator
Syria’s army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president’s rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The northern watchman
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. The Turkish military has intervened alongside rebels in northern Aleppo, Afrin and Idlib province.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia’s intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the “Islamic State” has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The new jihadists
“Islamic State” (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own “caliphate,” IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
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Who’s fighting in the Syria conflict?
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
All roads leading out of the area are either controlled by government forces or within range of their guns, observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Khan Sheikhun lies on the highway connecting Damascus to Syria’s second city Aleppo, which has long been a key government objective. The town was hit by a suspected chemical weapons attack in 2017, which killed dozens of civilians.
kw/kl (AP, AFP)
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