LATEST: Video — Protest for Islamic State of Iraq in Jabal al-Zawiya in Idlib Province

FRIDAY FEATURES

More than 24 hours after the Islamic State of Iraq left Aleppo, in the face of attacks by insurgents, the situation is confused.

Is ISIS retreating across northern and eastern Syria without a fight, or is it counter-attacking, possibly with a series of bombings?

There were multiple claims throughout Thursday of ISIS making stands and even taking back pockets of territory. Others continued the assertions, made since the start of the week, of ISIS suicide bombers wreaking havoc.

Almost none of these declarations could be confirmed, however. The situation was further muddled by a leading source for mainstream media, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, passing off chatter on social networks as established fact.

The one bombing which could be confirmed, killing at least 17 people in Hama Province, was not claimed by ISIS or any other group.

State TV’s report:


Video: Protest for Islamic State of Iraq in Jabal al-Zawiya in Idlib Province

Video Report: ISIS Hoarded Medical Supplies, Baby Formula, Weapons in Headquarters in ad-Dana, Idlib

Orient News has filmed inside the headquarters of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in ad-Dana, Idlib, in northern Syria after its liberation by insurgents.

Orient’s reporters filmed equipment used to make car bombs, as well as huge warehouses of medical supplies including drugs inside ISIS’s headquarters, at a time when civilian field hospitals were suffering severe shortages of drugs. The supplies were likely looted from field hospitals or taken from humanitarian aid convoys. Among the items stored were boxes of baby formula, likely humanitarian supplies intended for civilians.

Map of ad-Dana:


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Kafranbel Slam Obama For Inaction, Again

Citizens in the Idlib village of Kafranbel — famous for its vivid anti-Assad protest banners — have criticized US President Barack Obama for inaction on Syria, saying that this has strengthened Assad and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.

View more banners on Kafranbel’s Facebook page here.

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Video: Departure of Islamic State of Iraq from Manbij in Aleppo Province on Monday

Video: Opposition Mourns “65 Martyrs Who Tried to Break Siege of Homs”

Activists have posted a video mourning scores of insurgents killed in Homs Province by regime forces — they say the fighters were trying to break the Syrian military’s siege on insurgent-held areas of Homs:

Prisoners Freed After Islamic State of Iraq Pushed Out of Dana

Activists claim that dozens of prisoners have been freed after the Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham was forced to leave Dana, the first town that it controlled in northwest Syria.

One Facebook page lists the names of 28 men and claims that women and a 2-year-old child were also released from detention.

Citizen Journalist Muhammad Ibrahim Killed in Homs

Citizen journalist Muhammad Ibrahim, has been killed while covering battles in Homs city.

Ibrahim, known as Abu Muhammad Shaam, was the correspondent of Shaam News Network in Homs. He was one of the last members of the Baba Amr media office, a main source for coverage in 2012 of the regime’s devastating offensive across the city.

Ibrahim was a driving force behind the Live Feed, via Bambuser, of the fighting in Homs. After foreign reporters were forced from the city, amid incidents such as the killing of British and French journalists in a regime strike in Baba Amr in February, the feed was a vital source for coverage of the attacks.