Islamic State Launches Offensive Against Government Strongholds in Homs

Islamic State fighters launched an offensive against government strongholds in western Syria, attacking a military airport in Tadmur, a town in Homs province, Reuters reports.

“Forays by Islamic State, which is strongest in the northeast and east, into the provinces of Homs, Hama and even Damascus, pose a fresh challenge for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” Reuters writes.

The director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights speculated that the attacks were launched to boost morale after the Islamic State suffered losses to Kurdish forces in the northeast of Syria.

Syrian army forces regained control over territory from Damascus through the cities of Homs and Hama to the western coast, after defeating rebel forces including those fighting under for the Free Syrian Army.

The offensive follows a three-day fight farther west in Hama around Sheikh Hilal village, in which the Islamic State was trying to cut off the road from Hama to Aleppo.

An Islamic State fighter told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the Hama campaign aimed eventually to take Salamiyah, a town east of Hama.

“The ultimate goal is to liberate Salamiyah and Hama but it will not happen before Islamic State is 100 percent ready,” he said.

Syrian Rebels Shell Government-Held Parts of Aleppo

Syrian rebels shelled government-held parts of Aleppo on Monday, killing 13 people and wounding dozens, AP reports.

Syrian State TV showed footage from Aleppo of the dead as they were being rushed to the hospital in the city. They claim the shells hit Baron Street, right next to a school, as students were preparing to leave class.

Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, is at the heart of clashes between government forces and insurgents that include Jabhat al-Nusra, Islamist brigades and Western-backed rebels.

Fighting in Syria’s largest city has escalated since Syrian regime forces launched an offensive last month aimed at cutting off a crucial rebel supply inside the city and encircling opposition-held territory.

The attacks coincide with the release of a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) documenting indiscriminate attacks by Syrian rebel groups on civilians in government-held areas with car bombs, mortars and rockets.

“We’ve seen a race to the bottom in Syria with rebel groups mimicking the ruthlessness of government forces with devastating consequences for civilians,” said HRW’s Nadim Houry.

“Civilians are paying the price, be it in government or rebel-held areas, with an inadequate international response.”

U.N. envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura has been working since October to advance a proposal for a local cease-fire or “incremental freeze zones” across Syria, starting with the city of Aleppo, in an attempt to halt the fighting and provide humanitarian aid to civilians.

Mainstream Rebels in Southern Syria Claim Foreign States Have Stepped Up Aid

“Mainstream rebels in southern Syria say foreign states have stepped up weapon supplies to them since Damascus launched an offensive early last month to regain the frontier zone near Jordan and Israel,” AP reports.

The south is one of the few areas in which mainstream, non-jihadist rebels have retained a foothold against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. However, they have lost territory to Islamist militant groups during the course of the conflict.

The move suggests that the West and its Arab allies want to secure the rebel foothold in the south, AP writes.

Jordan, a member of the U.S. coalition against the Islamic State, announced yesterday that it was prepared to train Syrian rebels as part of its battle against the Islamic State.

The rebels did not indicate which states had supplied the weapons, though they have previously received military aid via Jordan and anti-tank weapons from the U.S. However, they repeatedly claim that they have not received the kind of weapons that would tip the battle their way.

“We are asking for more,” Saber Safar – a colonel who defected from the Syrian army and now heads a group called The First Army, part of The Southern Front rebel alliance – told AP.

Despite the lack of support, Rami Abdulrahman, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, claims the government had lost momentum in its southern offensive.

“After the thrust at the start of the attack, the progress has become very slow,” he said.

“There has clearly been substantial investment by the regime and its backers in this offensive, so it’s notable that the opposition has been able to slow their progress,” said Noah Bonsey, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

The defeat of Western-backed opposition groups has complicated efforts to combat extremism by leaving large parts of Syria that were once controlled by moderates in the hands of groups like Jabhat al-Nusra.

“The Nusra Front, Syria’s al-Qaida affiliate, is consolidating power in territory stretching from the Turkish border to central and southern Syria, crushing moderate opponents and forcibly converting minorities using tactics akin to its ultra-conservative rival, the Islamic State group,” AP writes.

Recommended Reads

• Associated Press: Nusra Front Quietly Rises in Syria as Islamic State Targeted
• Al-Arabiya: Canada Will Expand Anti-ISIS Campaign to Syria
• The New York Times: Medical Students from Britain Are Sought in Syria
• The Wall Street Journal: Turkey Tightens Border with Syria Amid Terrorism Fears
• Associated Press: Syria Kurds Yet to Be Fully Embraced by U.S. in Anti-ISIS Fight
• Reuters: Syrian People Feel Abandoned as World Focuses on Islamic State: U.N.

Photo Courtesy of AP Images