SUMMARY: As United Nations inspectors arrive in Damascus to begin the process of confiscating Syria’s chemical weapons stocks, the Assad regime has declared that it is only foreign-backed “terrorists” who use such weapons in the country.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem (pictured) told the UN General Assembly on Monday:

Syria, by acceding to the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, proves its commitment against the use of such weapons….There remains the challenge that is facing all of us whether those who are supplying terrorists with these types of weapon will abide by their legal commitments.

Al-Muallem, seizing post-9/11 language, said Damascus is fighting “a war against terror”.

He then switched from warning to reassurance:

I appeal, from this platform, to Syrian citizens to return to their towns and villages where the state guarantees their safe return….[We are ready] to exert all efforts to deliver aid from international organisations to all Syrian citizens wherever they are.

As for the political future, “free and fair elections remain the only solution to decide on the options of the Syrian people”.

Video: Harakat Al Muthanna Al Islamiya With Captured Pro-Assad Militia In Tal Assamen, Daraa

Amid reports that the Free Syrian Army and Islamist factions have captured regime checkpoints in the Daraa countryside, in Tal Assamen, Al Masaken and Alafneh, this footage dated September 30 shows insurgents from the Harakat Al Muthanna Al Islamiya with captured “shabiha” — pro-regime militia. The video, shot at night, is somewhat difficult to make out but it is possible to see several men lying face down on the ground.

Russian Foreign Ministry: No Russian Presence In Advance OPCW Inspection Team In Syria

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that Russian nationals are not among the advance inspection team from the OPCW in Syria.

Gennady Gatilov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Interfax that while there are no Russians among the inspection team at present, the question of future Russian participation is under discussion, as is the question of Russian financial support.

Reports Of More Clashes Between Insurgents, PKK In Idlib Province

Activists are reporting more clashes between insurgents and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) around the village of Āţimah in Idlib Province. The Shaam News Network reports that the Free Syrian Army is involved in clashes on Tuesday, that killed one insurgent. The Chechen-led Jaish Muhajireen Wal Ansar have been involved in previous clashes in the area.

Regime Offensive In Daraa Province Continues, With Fighting Around Daraa City

The regime continues it offensive against opposition-held areas of Daraa Province, particularly in key towns around Daraa City.


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In Inkhil, to the north of Daraa city, the regime have bombarded the city with artillery and rocket shelling, injuring a number of civilians.

There is also heavy fighting within Daraa city itself. Regime forces are continuing to strike the Tariq Al Sud neighborhood with anti-aircraft and sniper fire, amid ongoing clashes between the FSA and regime forces near the city courthouse and Daraa National Hospital.

In Tafas, regime artillery shelling continues amid clashes with FSA insurgents in various regime military posts around the city, in a battle the insurgents have named Operation Close Ranks. There have also been several airstrikes on the city.

Footage from Monday shows a child injured in a strike yesterday (some readers may find the images disturbing):

Footage from Tuesday of insurgent fighters in Tafas:

Amid Reports Of Starvation Deaths, Citizen Journalists Begin Campaign To Raise Awareness Of Humanitarian Crisis In Moadamiyyat Ash Sham

Amid reports that seven people have starved to death in Moadamiyyat Ash Sham, Syrian citizen journalist group, the Shaam News Network, whose activists produce news and video reports, on Tuesday launched a campaign to raise awareness about the increasing humanitarian crisis in the West Ghouta town.

Moadamiyyat Ash Sham — one of the Damascus suburbs hit by the August 21 chemical weapons attacks — has been under a regime-imposed siege for over 280 days, during which time local activists say over 700 civilians have lost their lives in the ongoing regime bombardments.

Shaam News writes, “Shops are closed and there is nothing to buy or sell. The city is in ruins and both electricity and communications have been disconnected for nearly a year, all a result of continuous Assad regime shelling. Hospitals are closed and there is one doctor for every 2,400 people. Every single school has been forced to shut its doors as a result of ongoing shelling. People are starving to death as a result of this siege. Seven people have starved to death, four of them children. Residents in the city wonder how human rights organizations are allowing this to continue.”

In this footage from Tuesday, two children in Moadamiyyat Ash Sham are show foraging for food:

Regime strikes on the town on Tuesday:

Statement By ISIS Following The Incident In Azaz: Northern Storm Attacked Us First

Russian-language pro-jihad sites following the Syria conflict have published a Russian translation of a statement by Islamist faction the Islamic State of Iraq and Ash Sham following last week’s fight with Free Syrian Army faction Northern Storm in the border town of Azaz:

1) ISIS does not seek and does not look for a reason to fight with the Free Syrian Army

2) ISIS is not isolated, and if anyone takes a step toward us, we will run to meet him.

3) Northern Storm and “Ahfad al Rasul attacked ISIS first.

4) The minor incidents with other brigades were deliberately exaggerated.

5) The Western media and enemies are waging an information war against ISIS.

6) ISIS forbids the bombing of Sunni Muslims in Iraq or Syria, and explosions that took place are actually the work of Shias.

7) We condemn those who make takfir and we ourselves do not do takfir to Muslims in Iraq and in Ash Sham, and those who do, do so at their own initiative .

8) We are not at war with those who are not at war with us. We are not at war with those who have departed from us , provided that they are not at war with us.

9) The Crusaders are trying to antagonize our nation by calling us Kharijites, but we are fighting only against the Nusarites [Alawites] and their regime and their associates, all while minimizing costs as far as possible .

10) Mistakes happen and cannot be avoided . It is very difficult to prevent them, since ISIS has a large army and there are various incidents that are difficult to control.

11) All of our shortcomings and mistakes will be corrected when proven in Sharia proceedings.

12) We call upon all the fighters from the emirs to ordinary rank and file to avoid fitnah with the SSA, because they are trying to artificially create fitna to divide and weaken the Muslims.

Syrian Opposition Prints New School Curriculum — With No References To Assad

Electronic newspaper Zaman Alwasl reports on Tuesday that the Syrian Opposition in Istanbul has begun printing a revised Syrian curriculum, which omits all information related to the Assad regime. According to Zaman Alwasl, which visited two printing houses in Istanbul, the amended textbooks are intended for distribution to school-age Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Qatar. Students in opposition-controlled areas of Syria will also receive copies.

Na’eem Al Mofti , Secretary -General of the Syrian Commission for Education said that three million textbooks for all grades have been printed, with another million to come.

Al Mofti said that there are enough books for Syrian students in Turkey and for around a quarter of students in the opposition-controlled areas in Idlib and Aleppo cities and suburbs; the Ghouta region near Damascus and the Turkman mountains in Lattakia Proviunce. However, Al Mofti said there will likely be difficulties delivering books to the Ghouta region, because of the regime-imposed siege.

Video: Insurgents Overrun Checkpoint Near Jallin, Daraa Province

A group of insurgents from the Wadi Al-Yarmouk area on Monday overran a regime checkpoint near Jallin in Daraa Province. Click for map.

The checkpoint is just west of Tafas, the site of a fierce, ongoing battle as the regime struggling to retake it from insurgent control.

Video: Jabhat Al Nusra Bread Factory In Aleppo’s Al Missar Neighborhood

Media activists linked to Islamist faction Jabhat al Nusra have released this promotional video showing a bakery run by the group in Aleppo’s Al Missar neighborhood:

Photo: Rumors Of Abu Umar Al Shishani’s Death Premature — Here He Is Drinking Tea

In what is likely a quiet rebuttal to claims put out last week by the Kurdish PKK that its forces had managed to kill the leader of the Jaish Al Muhajireen Wal Ansar and ISIS’s northern Amir, Abu Umar Al Shishani, the pro-jihad Russian-language site Kavkaz Center has tweeted another image of Abu Umar.

Here is Abu Umar drinking what appears to be a mug of tea:

Leading MP: Iran is Training Syrian Forces

Esmail Kowsari, a leading member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Commission and a former Revolutionary Guards commander, has reinforced the message put out by Guards head Mohammad Ali Jafari a year ago: Iran is training forces fighting for Syrian President Assad:

Syria’s support in the Sacred Defense era [1980s Iran-Iraq War] was when Iranian soldiers went to Syria in [1983-1984] and received missile training. They provided ammunition and equipment and now it is our turn to help them, and our help is not hidden at all….

We cannot abandon Syria in such circumstances and we must transfer our experiences to the officials and people of Syria.

See Syria Special Updated: Iran’s Military, Assad’s Shia Militias, & The Raw Videos

Kowsari continued:

For two and a half years, we have spiritually supported Syria, but have not provided material support. Spiritual support means that we transfer our experience and tell them, “Because we succeeded, if you do the same, you will succeed.”

We have stated an example, “Train and organize popular forces alongside the army and use them in a way that can aid you.” …Beginning 7-8 months ago [after doing this] ,they successively experienced their best successes.

Jafari said in September 2012 that Iran would help train 50,000 members of People’s Defense Army in Syria. Last month, the Iranian training was shown on film for the first time, after a Guards veteran and a cameraman making a documentary in Syria were killed in an ambush by insurgents.

(Cross-posted from Iran Round-Up)

Casualties

The Local Coordination Committees claim 57 people were killed on Monday, including 29 in Damascus and its suburbs and 17 in Daraa Province.

The Violations Documentation Center puts the number of dead at 74,482 since the conflict began in March 2011, an increase of 77 from Monday. Of the dead, 55,686 are civilians, a rise of 35 from yesterday.