Notorious French militant leader arrested by HTS in Syria’s Idlib

Omar Omsen, leader of the Firqatul Gharaba brigade, was detained on Saturday, as widening HTS crackdown also targets Hizb ut-Tahrir members. Pictured during an interview with Al Jazeera in 2014 (Screengrab) By Simon Hooper, Harun al-Aswad A senior French fighter has been detained by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in a new round of arrests by the militant … Continue reading Notorious French militant leader arrested by HTS in Syria’s Idlib

Palestinians’ homes stolen once again as Assad eyes Syria’s Yarmouk camp

Palestinian refugees have endured bombings and sieges during the Syrian war. Now they face the confiscation of their houses (Photo source AFP). By Harun al-Aswad Inside an old traditional Arab house between the opposition-controlled cities of Afrin and Azaz in northern Syria, Palestinian refugee Ammar al-Qudsi has done his best to settle in and make it … Continue reading Palestinians’ homes stolen once again as Assad eyes Syria’s Yarmouk camp

Civil war within civil war: HTS battles rival militants, defectors in Syria’s Idlib

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham launches crackdown against new operations room allied with Hurras al-Deen, pitting al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate against its current one (Photo source MEE). By Harun al-Aswad Clashes between hardline groups have erupted in Idlib, the last rebel-held stronghold in northwestern Syria, amid a crackdown by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) targeting prominent defectors from its … Continue reading Civil war within civil war: HTS battles rival militants, defectors in Syria’s Idlib

‘Tears for their sons’: Republished Caesar photos bring fresh agony to Syria

Pictures smuggled out of Syria in 2013 are resurfacing after enactment of US sanctions against Assad and his supporters (Photo Sourse MEE). By Harun al-Aswad Nadir Abbud died of a heart attack on Monday. Hours earlier, he had seen a photo online of his only son soon after he was tortured and killed. Abbud, from Syria's Idlib province, had … Continue reading ‘Tears for their sons’: Republished Caesar photos bring fresh agony to Syria

British aid worker Tauqir Sharif arrested by HTS in Idlib

Sharif, who has been based in opposition-held northern Syria since 2013, was detained by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham late on Monday, his family tells MEE (Photo Facebook) By Simon Hooper, Harun al-Aswad A prominent British aid worker based in northern Syria's Idlib province has been arrested by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), his family has confirmed. Tauqir Sharif, who … Continue reading British aid worker Tauqir Sharif arrested by HTS in Idlib