Syrian Regime Makes Concerted Effort to Regain Ground in Idlib

Following a string of defeats, Syria’s regime is making a concerted effort to reach besieged regime forces trapped in the opposition-held town of Jisr al-Shughour for two weeks, AFP reports.

Syrian rebel groups, including supporters of Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria, seized the strategic town in northwestern Idlib province and the city of Idlib in the past two months, but a group of some 250 regime loyalists remain trapped inside a hospital complex.

Government forces began their counteroffensive to reach the hospital and relieve the siege last Wednesday, as President Bashar al-Assad acknowledged what he said were recent “setbacks” in the war against insurgents trying to topple him, vowing that those in the hospital would be rescued soon.

“The loss of Jisr al-Shughour had an effect in terms of psychology and morale on the Syrian street, so it’s a particularly important battle for the regime,” Bassam Abu Abdullah, director of the Damascus Center for Strategic Studies, told the AFP.

Jisr al-Shughour is located close to the Turkish border as well as the regime stronghold of Latakia province.

“This battle is both symbolic in terms of the army proving it doesn’t leave soldiers behind on the field and helpless, and strategic because Jisr al-Shughour opens the door to the Latakia region,” said Waddah Abed Rabbo, chief editor of the pro-government al-Watan newspaper.

“Assad’s government is eager to avoid a repeat of August 2014 when jihadists executed more than 200 soldiers after they seized Tabqa air base in Raqqa province,” AFP writes.

The offensive comes after Jabhat al-Nusra claimed responsibility for a daytime suicide bomb attack in Jisr al-Shughour last weekend, prompting a round of fierce fighting inside the hospital and also outside Jisr al-Shughour that claimed the lives of at least 39 opposition fighters and dozens of army troops.

Syrian Opposition in Exile Turns Down Talks with U.N. Envoy

The main Syrian opposition group in exile, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, will not take part in low-level consultations taking place in Geneva with the United Nation’s Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, instead sending him a letter stating its position, AFP reports.

The U.N. launched wide-ranging consultations in Geneva last week with domestic and regional players, including Iran, in a bid to revive stalled talks to end the Syrian conflict.

The opposition coalition had been expected to hold talks with de Mistura – who had described the consultations as a stock-taking process, saying there would be no big roundtable discussions and that his goal was to find a way to “operationalize” the Geneva Communiqué, a document that set out a plan for a political transition in Syria but which left unresolved the future role of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

De Mistura is planning to hold individual meetings with “a broad spectrum of youth, political and military actors, women, victims, civil society, diaspora, religious and community leaders and more,” as well as with representatives from 20 countries.

Hisham Marwah, deputy head of the opposition coalition, which is recognized by much of the international community, dismissed the consultations with de Mistura as “unimportant,” adding that his decision to invite some 40 “dissidents, artists, civil society organizations and research centers” to participate in the talks suggested he was not serious.

“We were waiting for de Mistura to invite us to negotiations, and instead he invited us to unimportant consultations at a time when the Syrian opposition is winning key victories on the ground,” said Marwah.

“The invitation to Iran only strained the situation further and that’s our basic problem with de Mistura,” he added.

“Instead of participating in the consultations, a coalition member will travel to Geneva to deliver two letters addressed to de Mistura and U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon,” AFP writes.

“The letters lay out our vision for a political solution as well as our observations on de Mistura’s performance,” Marwah said.

Kerry, Putin Meet in Russia to Discuss Syria

U.S. secretary of state John Kerry will meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on Tuesday to discuss whether it is possible for the two countries to work together toward finding a political solution for the conflict in Syria, the New York Times reports.

“This trip is part of our ongoing effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure U.S. views are clearly conveyed,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a written statement.

The U.S. and Russia are at odds over the conflict in Syria. Russia, a key ally and financial backer of President Assad’s regime, has long supported him with arms supplies, while the U.S. continues call for his departure.

“While there have been no outward signs of a Russian reversal on Ukraine or Syria, U.S. officials hope recent defeats to Assad’s forces may change Moscow’s stance,” Reuters writes.

Meanwhile, U.S. security officials warned on Tuesday that recent regime losses to rebels could spark greater instability in Syria as extremist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS try to take advantage of “any cracks in the government control,” CNN reports.

Recommended Reads

• The Telegraph: Bashar al-Assad’s Spy Chief Arrested over Syria Coup Plot
• CNN: Assad Losses in Syria Could Become ISIS Gains
• Al Jazeera: 36,000 Newborn Syrians Stateless in Lebanon
• Reuters: Kerry to Explore Putin’s Flexibility on Ukraine, Syria
• Der Spiegel: Syria’s Mercenaries: The Afghans Fighting Assad’s War