LATEST: Photo — Protest in Idlib Province Over US Airstrikes on Insurgents and Civilians

Both the US and insurgents appear to be assessing their next steps after Wednesday’s American airstrikes on parts of the insurgency in northwest Syria.

It was confirmed on Thursday that the US struck not only the Islamist faction Jabhat al-Nusra — which was attacked with missiles on September 22, the first day of the American aerial intervention in Syria — but also the prominent group Ahrar al-Sham, part of Syria’s largest insurgent bloc Islamic Front.

Syria Developing: US Renews Attacks on Mysterious “Khorasan Group” — But Is It Actually Targeting Insurgents?

The US attacked Jabhat al-Nusra in Sarmada in Idlib Province, with one assault reportedly aiming at the vehicle of a senior commander. Another of the five airstrikes was on Ahrar al-Sham near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey.

Unnamed US officials put out the story that they were again trying to kill leading members of the “Khorasan Group”, a claimed terrorist cell planning an attack on the US. The Group was also the nominal target of the September 22 missiles, days after its threat was publicly declared by Washington for the first time.

There was no confirmation of the deaths of “Khorasan” members, although a Defense Department official fed the story to the US media that a French bombmaker, David (Daoud) Drugeon, was slain. A spokesman for US Central Command, General Lloyd Austin, declared that Drugeon was “one of the leadership elements and one of the most dangerous elements in the organization. Anytime we can take their leadership out, it’s a good thing.”

Meanwhile, activists posted video of civilian casualties, including four children.

Footage of the aftermath of the attack on Jabhat al-Nusra in the town of Harem:

The US attacks came days after Jabhat al-Nusra defeated the Syrian Revolutionary Front, which has been supported by the Americans, in a series of clashes in Idlib Province. Ahrar al-Sham said it was not involved in the fighting; however, the defection of SRF members to the group reportedly prompted SRF raids which led to the battle with Jabhat al-Nusra.

The US Central Command insisted that decimation of the “Khorasan Group” was its only objective and said, “The strikes were not in response to the Nusrah Front’s clashes with the Syrian moderate opposition, they added, and did not target the Nusrah Front as a whole.

Leading Ahrar al-Sham members revealed the American attack on their position. They denounced ““something that would not benefit anyone but the criminal regime” of President Assad; however, they did not indicate how they would react.

Jabhat al-Nusra also maintained silence on its next steps. On Tuesday, its leader Abu Mohammad al-Joulani hailed the victory over the Syrian Revolutionary Front, which he said had been supported by US and Saudi intelligence. He said the decision to “end” the SRF had been taken with Ahrar al-Sham and other factions.

The Islamist faction also moved into positions vacated by Harakat Hazm, another group provided with US-made heavy weapons. Jabhat al-Nusra attacked Harakat Hazm when the latter tried to stop reinforcements for the fight against the Syrian Revolutionary Front.

(Featured Photo: Jabhat al-Nusra position in Harem in Idlib Province, reportedly hit on Wednesday by US airstrike)


Photo: Protest in Idlib Province Over US Airstrikes on Insurgents and Civilians

A protest in Fnaz in Idlib Province on Friday — marchers denounced US airstrikes on insurgents and civilians under the guise of attacking “terrorists”, and called for action against the “terrorist” President Assad:

PROTEST IDLIB OVER US AIRSTRIKES 2

PROTEST IDLIB OVER US AIRSTRIKES

PROTEST IDLIB OVER US AIRSTRIKES 3

Video: Claim of 15 Killed in Double Barrel-Bombing in al-Shaer in Aleppo

Activists claims that at least 15 people were killed when two barrel bombs struck the al-Shaer area of Aleppo:

Local Journalist Criticizes Defeated Syrian Revolutionary Front and Harakat Hazm for Their “Sheer Number of Thieves”

Local citizen journalists continue criticism of the Syrian Revolutionary Front, defeated by the Islamist faction Jabhat al-Nusra in northwest Syria — and they also denounced another US-supported group, Harakat Hazm, which was pushed out of its positions.

Ala a-Din al-Khatib tells Syria Direct:

We hated what is called the SRF and Harakat Hazm because they were accustomed to stealing and looting.

At the same time, we don’t deny that some honorable men were present among them, but the sheer number of thieves in their ranks blackened their reputation.

He adds, “They didn’t provide us any security—on the contrary, there was a total lack of security,” and claims the SRF also did not ensure food, water, electricity, and medicine.

The journalist said that locals “found ]Jabhat al-] Nusra’s treatment much better compared to the Free Syrian Army’s, especially around the military checkpoints — Nusra treats us with good manners and propriety.” He denied the claim of another journalist that the Islamist faction was forcing women to wear hijab.

Regime Claims Recapture of Major Gas Field From Islamic State

The Syrian military claimed on Thursday that it recaptured the al-Shaer gas field in central Syria from the Islamic State.

The jihadists took the field last week, saying they had killed at least 30 Syrian troops.

The Islamic State already hold most of Syria’s oilfields, including the largest fields in the east of the country. Control or destruction of al-Shaer would cause further problems for energy supplies — last month the Government raised the price of subsidized fuel in response to shortages.

The jihadists also briefly held al-Shaer during an advance into central Syria this summer.

Claimed photo of prominent Syrian commander Souhail al-Hassan — “The Tiger” — in the gas field:

COLONEL TIGER AL SHAER