Al-Zawahiri: Jihadists Should Use Guerrilla Tactics

Jihadists should be patient and rely on guerrilla war tactics in Syria, said al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in an online audio recording posted on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Sunni jihadists in Syria fighting the Syrian government, its Iranian-backed allies or Western powers should prepare for a long battle against the U.S.-led coalition in Syria and Iraq, as well as Iranian-backed militias in the two countries, al-Zawahiri said.

“Our people in Sham (Syria) prepare yourselves for a long battle with the crusaders and their allies the Shi’ites and Alawites,” he said in the recording.

Three Pro-Government Fighters Killed in Israeli Attack

Three members of the pro-government National Defense Forces (NDF) were killed by an Israeli attack on southern Syria on Sunday, Reuters reported.

It is not yet clear whether the bombardment on Qunaitra province was an airstrike or shelling, said the monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Neither the Israeli nor Syrian military has commented, but the NDF militia said the attack targeted their military camp on the outskirts of Qunaitra province, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The southern province is split between pro-government forces and rebel groups.

Pro-Government Forces Advance in Hama

Syrian government and allied forces advanced in Hama province, taking control of territory they lost to rebels last year in the western province, Al Jazeera reported.

“We gained control of Halfaya and several hills in the area,” a Syrian military source told Reuters news agency.

Backed by Russian airstrikes and Iranian-funded militias, government forces took control of strategic towns in the northern part of Hama province, consolidating their control of the western highway that connects Damascus to Aleppo.

Rebels and allied jihadists, including the former al-Qaida affiliate, have lost most of their territorial gains from an offensive on Hama last month.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• New York Times: Syria Changed the World
• International Crisis Group: Verify, Then Verify Again
• AP: They’re Going for Death: Syrian Tells of Defection from IS
• Syria Comment: Revisiting the Malki Affair
• The National: The Complex Backstory of the Qatari Hostage Deal