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The seven sisters of Syria’s newest rebel alliance
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November 30, 2013 12:11 AM
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BEIRUT: The newly formed Islamic Front alliance of seven large militias and movements active in the Syria war issued its political manifesto this week, situating it squarely as an anti-secular and anti-democracy grouping that seeks to establish an Islamic state. The merger was announced last...
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Battles rage around Damascus, jihadists slay rival rebel leader
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November 28, 2013 12:18 AM
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BEIRUT: Fierce fighting pitting Syrian government troops and allied Shiite militias against rebels rocked neighborhoods and suburbs of Damascus Wednesday, amid efforts to clamp down on the reporting of the battles underway.Hard-line jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS)...
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Aleppo rebel commander remembered as ‘hero’
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November 19, 2013 12:20 AM
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BEIRUT: One of the most prominent and admired Syrian rebel commanders, Abdel-Qader Saleh of the Tawhid Brigade, was eulogized Monday in opposition circles as a “hero” and “martyr” after he succumbed to injuries received in an airstrike last week. For supporters of the...
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Battlefield errors: One head too many for ISIS?
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November 16, 2013 12:12 AM
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BEIRUT: A group of religious scholars in Aleppo has issued a damning statement against the Islamist State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), accusing militants of a long list of criminal acts and urging “loyal” fighters in its ranks to leave the Al-Qaeda-inspired group. The move comes...
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Challenges await new interim government
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November 14, 2013 12:15 AM
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BEIRUT: The newly unveiled provisional government of the opposition Syrian National Coalition will face the uphill task of securing credibility on the ground through the priority task of aid provision to war-ravaged areas. While Coalition members congratulated themselves this week for finally...
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Aleppo media activists under threat
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November 11, 2013 12:11 AM
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BEIRUT: A prominent Syrian media activist in Aleppo has become the latest victim of kidnapping by masked gunmen, pro-opposition activists said over the weekend. They said Abdel-Wahab Malla was taken away by unknown gunmen late Thursday, in the latest incident targeting civilian activists,...
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From north to east, ISIS losses outweigh ‘victories’
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November 09, 2013 12:06 AM
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BEIRUT: Perhaps it was only fitting that militants from the Islamic State for Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) decapitated “Freedom Statue” in the eastern town of Raqqa this week, in yet another provocative move that signifies how the Al-Qaeda group remains at odds with the mainstream...
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Leading FSA commander quits, lashes out at lack of support
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November 04, 2013 12:12 AM
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BEIRUT: A leading rebel commander from the mainstream Free Syrian Army announced his resignation Sunday, in the wake of infighting among rebel groups, battlefield setbacks and a lack of political support. Col. Abdel-Jabbar Ukaidi, the head of the Aleppo Revolutionary Military Council of the FSA,...
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FSA commander for Swaida replaced
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November 04, 2013 12:12 AM
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BEIRUT: The head of the Free Syrian Army for the Druze-majority province of Swaida has been replaced as part of a “reorganization” drive, activists said Sunday. Col. Marwan al-Hamad has been the target of criticism in recent months because the Revolutionary Military Council for Swaida...
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Rebels find care packages destined for top army officers
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October 26, 2013 12:14 AM
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BEIRUT: Syrian rebels in the province of Raqqa this week took possession of a load of supplies destined for besieged regime troops and displayed the contents for the public, in the latest attempt to prove the low morale of government forces. A five-minute video of the incident, posted on YouTube...
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Fighting the wrong battles at the wrong time
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October 24, 2013 12:21 AM
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BEIRUT: The war in Syria is poised to become even worse for mainstream rebels if hard-liners push through with plans to attack controversial targets, as propaganda and media coverage often distort what is happening on the ground. One recent flashpoint has been the southern suburbs of Damascus,...
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Rebels and activists fight sectarian strife in south
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October 15, 2013 12:23 AM
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BEIRUT: For much of the Syrian uprising, pro-opposition activists from two neighboring provinces in the south have been confronting the danger of sectarian tension between the Sunni-majority governorate of Deraa, and the Druze-majority governorate of Swaida. Over the last week, some 50...
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Rebel infighting, consolidation yet to yield results
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October 09, 2013 12:59 AM
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BEIRUT: Islamist rebel groups in Syria have been making the headlines recently as they clash with mainstream Free Syrian Army battalions and with each other, or announce new “unified” formations. But the shake-up process has yet to produce any clear winners and losers, according to analysts and...
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Geneva 2 sees flurry of terms, counter-terms
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October 08, 2013 12:25 AM
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BEIRUT: Leading opposition groups are showing little enthusiasm about attending a proposed Geneva II conference, whether they are based inside or outside Syria. The sponsors of the conference, the U.S. and Russia, saw their top diplomats Monday “recommit” themselves to efforts to move...
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ISIS fights back against claims on many fronts
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October 02, 2013 12:40 AM
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BEIRUT: One of the most notorious hard-line Islamist groups fighting in Syria has been the victim of a media smear campaign as well as treachery by mainstream rebel battalions, according to its spokesman. A range of figures in the Syrian opposition have accused the Islamic State of Iraq and...
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