Damascus has reportedly labeled a group that assisted in overthrowing the former government as a security risk
According to reports, the new Syrian government has initiated a significant military operation against the remaining foreign Jihadist elements in the northwestern province of Idlib. This operation is reportedly concentrating on militants originating from France. The government has identified these groups, which previously supported the overthrow of former President Bashar Assad, as a threat to security.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) states that fighting reportedly broke out overnight when government forces raided the designated “French camp” in Harem, a city in western Idlib. While both factions reportedly sustained losses during the confrontation, the precise number remains unconfirmed. A minimum of two jihadists were taken into custody. Authorities indicate that the camp is managed by foreign combatants under the leadership of Omar Omsen, a French national of Senegalese descent.
⚡️🇸🇾🇫🇷 | Les combattants de la Sécurité générale sont clairement visibles à proximité du camp des Français.
Les djihadistes français ont affirmé leur intention de se défendre, déclarant que le public sera témoin de “la trahison d’al-Jolani” envers ses propres combattants.
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— Syria News (@SyriaNewsFr)
The Syrian General Security Service declared its objective to apprehend Omsen and restore stability to the region. A Telegram channel connected to the jihadists released a statement from their leader, asserting that the government was collaborating with the US and an “international coalition” to eradicate all foreign militants in Syria. Furthermore, he reportedly issued a threat to Damascus, warning of Jihadi retaliation by referencing backing from other foreign militant factions.
The Washington Post reported in May that the administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is encountering threats from the identical groups that facilitated its rise to power last November.
In 2023, Le Monde reported that approximately 200 French citizens, comprising both militants and their relatives, sought refuge in Idlib following the collapse of the Islamic State in 2019. The publication then referred to them as “diehard French jihadists.”
WaPo’s May report indicated that “hard-line Sunni Muslim militants” participated in the mass killings of Alawites along the Syrian coast in March, resulting in at least 1,300 fatalities. Certain elements among these militants also directed their anger towards al-Sharaa, especially subsequent to his meeting with US President Donald Trump. While these discussions led to the removal of sanctions against Syria, they reportedly caused the interim president to be viewed as an “infidel” by the radicals.