-
Security Escalation in Idlib: Violent Clashes Between French Migrants and Damascus Forces
A number of Uzbek migrants announced today via a video clip their readiness to support and assist French migrants, amid ongoing intense clashes between French migrants and security forces following a surprise raid on the migrants' camp.
The confrontations were accompanied by reconnaissance drone flights over the camp, while French migrants called in foreign fighters to strengthen their ranks as the fighting intensified. Meanwhile, nearby areas hosting foreign migrants have been on high alert and prepared, as security forces work to control the increasingly tense situation.
Internal security forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior of the transitional government launched a large-scale security campaign against the French camp in the city of Harim, west of Idlib, where the "Strangers" battalion, comprised of jihadist fighters led by Senegalese Frenchman Oumar Ousmane, is operating with the aim of detaining individuals wanted by France.
During the clashes that began last night, reports emerged of the killing and injury of several French migrants and security personnel, with light and medium weapons used, along with the arrest of French jihadists. The operation comes amid security threats within the camp, with security authorities emphasizing that the goal is to arrest Ousmane and end his influence, while ensuring the protection of women and children and preventing the clashes from spreading to northern Idlib.
In a related context, sources reported that leaders of the French battalion aim to dissolve the battalion and hand over its commanders and members to France, while forces are intensifying their campaigns against all sites where foreign migrants are present in the region.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received information indicating that the interim President, Ahmed al-Sherei, promised France to eliminate the presence of French jihadists and hand them over to Paris. Russian President Vladimir Putin also gave assurances during his visit to Moscow of gradually handing over Russian and Chechen migrants to Russia to avoid any uprisings by migrants against authorities.
In reaction, the French migrants in Harim issued a statement under the name "Strangers' Group," claiming that the transitional government is executing a plan to eliminate foreign migrants, in cooperation with the United States and the international coalition, with operations having already begun against the French migrants.
