Al-Qaida Offshoot Al-Nusra Makes ‘Significant’ Gains in Syria: Report

Al-Qaida’s Syrian offshoot, Jabhat al-Nusra, has leveraged the civil wars in Syria and Yemen to “significantly” expand its territory and operations in both countries, the Washington Post reports.

The report comes after the al-Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani went on a regional and international charm offensive earlier this week, telling Al Jazeera television that the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate was “illegitimate” and claiming his group would not use Syria as a launchpad to coordinate attacks against the West.

The newspaper concludes, after speaking with analysts, residents and intelligence officials, that al-Nusra’s gains will complicate any efforts to resolve the already seemingly intractable conflict.

Al-Nusra has gained territory in northern Syria since last year at the expense of moderate rebel groups reputed to be corrupt and ineffective at governing. The group has notably refrained from imposing the Islamic State’s strict interpretation of Sharia law on residents.

“Al-Qaida is becoming more deeply entrenched in Syria … and the global focus on ISIS has distracted from the expansion of this other radical, transnational group,” Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern politics at the London School of Economics, was quoted as saying.

The Obama administration has been alarmed by the growth of the al-Qaida offshoot. “The advance in the north worries us. Our goal is not for the regime to lose ground to the benefit of Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham,” a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity is quoted as saying, referring to another major group that coordinates closely with al-Nusra but is not an al-Qaida affiliate.

Major Clashes Continue Around Hassakeh

In fresh battlefield developments, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports major clashes continuing around Hassakeh city, with 176 people having now been killed during six days of attacks by the Islamic State.

“Clashes continue between ISIS and regime forces south of al-Hasakah [Hassakeh] city amid heavy aerial bombardment and artillery bombardment targeting ISIS around the city,” reports the Observatory.

It added, “The city is witnessing the third attack by ISIS since the 30 of May. ISIS militants were able to take control of al-Ahdath prison, the electricity company, al-Dawadia village and other areas south of the city, accompanied by 11 suicide attacks [on these] areas, leading to the death of 71 regime forces and allied militiamen including a commander in the al-Ba’th battalions, while no fewer than 48 were killed from ISIS.”

Iran’s ‘Surprise’: 15,000 Fresh Fighters Enter Syria

Meanwhile, Iran is bolstering the flagging Syrian army by sending 15,000 fresh fighters into Syria, the Daily Star reports.

The report cites a Lebanese political source as saying Tehran has sent the militia force – made up of Iranians, Iraqis and Afghanis – to the Damascus region and the coastal province of Latakia, where residents are girding themselves for an attack.

The fighters are also expected to spearhead a campaign to take back parts of Idlib province, where the regime has suffered a string of defeats at the hands of a seven-member coalition of rebels that includes the powerful Ahrar al-Sham militia and al-Nusra.

Iran expects results from the troops “by the end of the month,” the report says, noting that the timeline coincides with a deadline for Iran and world powers to finalize an interim deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Earlier this week, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds force, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying in Latakia that there would be a “surprise” from Tehran and Damascus.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad agreed only reluctantly to the plan, the Lebanese source adds.

Wave of 3,000 Refugees Cross into Turkey

A Turkish government official, meanwhile, revealed a sharp increase in Syrian refugees crossing over the border in the past two days.

The Hurriyet Daily News quotes the official as saying that 3,337 Syrians had fled across the border to escape fierce clashes as Kurdish forces attempted to drive Islamic State militants out of Tel Abyad, in Syria’s Hassakah province, close to the Turkish border town of Akcakale, as well as U.S. bombing raids against the Islamic radicals.

Recommended Reads

-The Guardian: Now the Truth Emerges: How the U.S. Fuelled the Rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq – The Washington Post Blog: Syria: Too Little, Too Late – The Jerusalem Post: With Syria Crumbling, Israel’s Security Situation Has Never Been Better – USA Today: Pentagon Fires Second Propaganda Salvo in Syria