LATEST: “Azaz Cease-Fire About to Break” Because of Islamic State of Iraq
SUMMARY: On Thursday, a dispute between insurgent factions continued for a second day in Azaz, in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border, as the Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham refused to withdraw from the town.
ISIS ejected the Free Syrian Army’s Northern Storm Brigade from Azaz on Wednesday after the Iraqi group’s attempt to seize a German national was blocked. At least six Northern Storm fighters were killed in the clash. A subsequent ISIS attempt to take the Bab al-Salam post on the Turkish border was repelled by Northern Storm and another brigade, Liwa al-Tawhid.
Throughout Thursday, Liwa al-Tawhid tried on Thursday to get agreement that it would establish a garrison in Azaz, with ISIS withdrawing to a nearby area, but ISIS balked at the conditions. There was an outbreak of gunfire on Thursday before an uneasy cease-fire returned.
Late last night, activists in Azaz said that an agreement had been reached.
The dispute is being seen as a test of the strength of both the Free Syrian Army and large brigades like Liwa al-Tawhid in the face of the challenge from ISIS, which pursues a trans-national “jihad” in contrast to the more local pursuit of the fight against the Assad regime.
ISIS has been accused of a series of kidnappings, beatings, and murders — including of fellow insurgents — across northern Syria.
(FEATURED PHOTO: Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover in Azaz — Virginie Nguyen Huang)
Latest Updates, From Top to Bottom
“Azaz Cease-Fire About to Break” Because of Islamic State of Iraq
Back to where we started this morning, with an EA correspondent writing from sources in Syria:
Azaz cease-fire about to break. ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham] not fulfilling the truce because they refused to release all prisoners. Handed over a few to Tahwid [Brigade], but kept many. Tahwid still in moderator role.
Northern Storm [of Free Syrian Army] will not tolerate that. So even if Tahwid doesn’t applies force, Northern Storm will do.
Not all in Tahwid(nor Supreme Military Council) agree to the soft approach. Some say force is needed, even push ISIS out of the area. Moderate (well, pragmatic) folks still have the upper hand. So summary is “fluid”.
Journalist Jenan Moussa complements our correspondent:
#Breaking: "Only 9 hostages out of 42 were released by ISIS." Northern Storm not happy. #Syria @akhbar
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) September 20, 2013
Northern Storm: "21 hrs passed since we signed truce with ISIS, nothing changed. FSA will hit ISIS again if deal not fulfilled in 24 hrs"
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) September 20, 2013
Assad Regime Submits Details of Chemical Weapons Stocks
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has said that Syria has submitted details of its chemical weapons stocks.
“We have received part of the verification and we expect more,” an OPCW spokesman said.
Syria is believed to possess around 1,000 tonnes of chemical toxins.
The organisation’s core members will vote on a plan aimed at fast-tracking the destruction of Syria’s chemical stockpiles by mid-2014. However, a meeting planned for Sunday has been delayed without explanation.
Today’s Protest Image from Kafranbel: A Message to Barack Obama as “Captain America”
The protesters of Kafranbel, known for their Friday posters, are not too impressed with the challenge of Captain America — a.k.a. Barack Obama — to the Syrian regime:
Free Syrian Army Joins Jabhat al-Nusra in Raqqa to Challenge Islamic State of Iraq
Syria Deeply, quoting a Free Syrian Army commanders, says the FSA’s Division 11 has joined forces with the Islamist faction Jabhat al-Nusra in Raqqa in northern Syria.
Activists in the city, the largest held by insurgents, said the local FSA had no choice but to side with Jabhat al-Nusra against the rival Islamist group Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham.
The commander explained the decision, motivated by shortage of arms:
Jabhat al-Nusra is one thing and ISIS is another. ISIS are criminals. We have no problem with [al-Nusra’s] vision, which is to bring the law of God to this land and bring down the regime. ISIS is fighting to topple the FSA…and everyone else who is fighting the regime.
The commander continued, “What help? We have not received any support since the beginning of the revolution. [US President] Obama and [British Prime Minister] Cameron are liars.”
National Coalition Slams Islamic State of Iraq and Ash Sham
In the wake of the fighting between the Islamist faction the Islamic State of Iraq and Ash Sham (ISIS) and the Free Syrian Army’s Northern Storm Brigade in the border town of Azaz, the Syrian National Coalition has slammed ISIS, accusing them of, among other things, repressing civilians and ceasing to fight the Assad regime.
The statement reads, in part:
National Coalition condemns the aggression by the Islamic State in Iraq and Ash Sham (ISIS) against the forces of the Syrian Revolution and its repeated disregard for the lives of Syrians.
The Coalition considers that the practices described below constitute a departure from the framework of the Syrian Revolution and puts ISIS in direct contradiction with the principles which the glorious Syrian Revolution seeks to achieve:
1. Linking of external agendas, and calling for the establishment of a new state within the Syrian state, transgressing national sovereignty.
2. Repeated repressive practices, and attacks on the freedoms of citizens, doctors, journalists and political activists over the past months.
3. Using force in dealing with civilians, and initiating a fight against Free Syrian Army battalions, as occurred recently on September 18 in Azaz in the Aleppo countryside, while trying to control the Bab As Salam border crossing with Turkey.
4. Its fighters have ceased fighting the regime on several fronts, and move to strengthen their positions in liberated areas, so that their presence poses a threat to civilians and restores the history of the suppression of the Baath Party and the army of the Assad regime and his Shabiha.
Video: Regime Shelling, Surface-To-Surface Missiles In Damascus Suburb, As Assad’s Troops Try To Invade
Activists in the West Ghouta town of Moadamiyyat Ash Sham — the site of one of the August 21 chemical weapons attacks — reported Friday that regime troops are clashing with insurgents on the town’s northern front, as pro-Assad forces including fighters from the Republican Guard and popular militias try to push through into the town, including with tanks.
The regime has continued to pound the town with intensified artillery shelling and surface-to-surface missiles (see video). Activists on Friday morning said that Assad’s Fourth Division has been firing up to 20 shells per minute at the town.
Activists also warned that those civilians remaining in Moadamiyyat Ash Sham face starvation amid severe food shortages caused by a regime-imposed siege.
Video showing the shelling:
Video showing the level of destruction:
“Truce in Azaz is Holding”
From journalist Rawya Rageh:
Tawhid Brigade spox says ceasefire in #Azaz holding, 'we hope it stays that way' #Syria
— Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh) September 20, 2013
Terms Of The Truce Between ISIS and FSA’s Northern Storm
Activists in Azaz have given details of the terms of the truce between the Islamic State of Iraq and Ash Sham and the Free Syrian Army’s Northern Storm Brigade:
1. An immediate cease-fire between the two sides;
2 – the release of prisoners held by the parties within a maximum period of 24 hours;
3 – return of missing and impounded items from both sides;
4 – Elements of the Tawhid Brigade will act as a mediator to ensure the implementation of the treaty and the separation between the two parties;
5 – Any dispute shall be referred to the Sharia Authority;
6 – The Northern Storm should return to their Headquarters within a 48-hour period;
7 – The guarantor of the implementation of the terms of the agreement is Liwa Tawhid and Jaish Mohammed.
Northern Storm posted an image of the agreement on their Facebook page:
French President Indicates Caution Over Arms Supplies to Insurgents
President Francois Hollande has indicated that France and allies like the US will continue their cautious approach to public arms supplies to insurgents.
Holland said on Thursday that France was in favor of sending weapons to the Free Syrian Army but only “in a broader context, with a number of countries and a framework which can be controlled, because we cannot have a situation where weapons end up with Islamists”.
“We always said we wanted to control the supply of weapons if we did this, so that they go to the FSA,” Hollande added.
Casualties
The Local Coordination the Committees claim 106 people were killed on Thursday, including 33 in Homs Province, 19 in Idlib Province, 13 in Damascus and its suburbs, 13 in Aleppo Province, and 12 in Daraa Province.
The Violations Documentation Center puts the number of dead at 73,527 since the conflict began in March 2011, an increase of 83 from Thursday. Of the dead, 55,179 are civilians, a rise of 48 from yesterday.
