Ethnic cleansing group Ahrar al-Sham announces it will not join jihadist coalition to fight against the Syrian Army in Idlib

January 3, 2017 – Fort Russ News – Paul Antonopoulos

IDLIB, Syria – The terrorist group Ahrar al-Sham has announced in a statement released on Tuesday that it will not join a new Operations Room to counter the new Syrian Army threat in Idlib province.

With the Syrian Army launching an offensive to liberate the jihadist-held Idlib province in Syria’s northwest, the Free Syrian Army and jihadist forces have announced the formation of a new Operation’s Room to deal with the oncoming government forces, as reported by FRN yesterday.

Groups in the new Operations Room include the Free Syrian Army; Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front; formerly US-backed Nour al-Din Zinki who beheaded a 12 year old child in July 2016; the Turkistan Islamic Party who comprise of jihadist Uighurs from western China; the Soldiers of the Caucasus who comprise of jihadists from mostly Russia’s Caucasus region; and an assortment of other jihadist groups.

The original report also found that Ahrar al-Sham were to be part of this coalition, however, according to the statement, Ahrar al-Sham will not join jihadist coalition as their rivalry with the Al-Nusra Front continues. 

The statement also demanded that the Al-Nusra Front release Ahrar al-Sham prisoners they are holding.

Although media, including pro-Syrian alternative outlets, often refer to Ahrar al-Sham as a rebel group, alluding that they are moderate. The formerly US-backed terrorist group committed a massacre against Alawites in the village of Zara’a in May 2016, killing 42 children and tens of women and men. This is just one of many atrocities they have committed.