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Islamists seize city in Alawite heartland for first time since Syrian civil war began Blow for Assad as Islamist militants take strategically important city of Idlib
(about 3 hours later)
The Syrian city of Idlib has fallen to Islamist groups led by al-Qaida’s Nusra Front for the first time since civil war broke out, according to reports from fighters and a monitoring group.The Syrian city of Idlib has fallen to Islamist groups led by al-Qaida’s Nusra Front for the first time since civil war broke out, according to reports from fighters and a monitoring group.
The fall of the city and surrounding province is a serious blow to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. It lies in his Alawite heartland, near the highway linking Damascus to Aleppo. The fall of the north-western city, which lies near the highway linking Damascus to Aleppo and is capital of Idlib province, is a serious blow to the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Hardline Islamist groups now control two provinces; Nusra’s rival, Isis, has been based in neighbouring Raqqa since taking control of the city last year. Hardline Islamist groups now control two provinces; Nusra’s rival, Isis, has been based in neighbouring Raqqa since taking control of the city last year. Nusra launched the push for Idlib, in alliance with other Islamist rebel groups, on Tuesday; the battle for such a strategic prize was surprisingly rapid, and came shortly after another humiliating defeat in the ancient southern town of Busra Sham.
Nusra launched the push for Idlib, in alliance with other Islamist rebel groups, on Tuesday; the battle for such a strategic prize was surprisingly rapid, and came shortly after another humiliating defeat in the ancient southern town of Busra Sham. “Jabhat al-Nusra have taken control of Idlib city after violent clashes against regime forces lasted for four days,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement. “Rebels are scanning the buildings for regime soldiers.” Government planes were still bombing fighters around the city, the group added.
“Jabhat al-Nusra have taken control of Idlib city after violent clashes against regime forces lasted for four days,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement. “Rebels are scanning the buildings for regime soldiers” and government planes are still bombing fighters around the city, the group added. Images posted by fighters claiming to be inside the city suggested government forces had been routed. They showed fighters vandalising statues of Assad’s father, former president Hafez al-Assad, and standing on government buildings trying to tear down huge posters of the president himself.
Images posted by fighters claiming to be inside the city suggested government forces had been routed. They showed fighters vandalising statues of Assad’s father and standing on government buildings trying to tear down huge posters of the president himself. On its Twitter account, Nusra said its fighters had taken control of half the city, posting pictures of the Clock Tower and other landmarks now under its control, Associated Press reported.
On its Twitter account, Nusra said its fighters had taken control of half the city, posting pictures of the Clock Tower and other landmark locations now under its control, AP reported. The Syrian government has not commented, but in effect conceded it had lost ground through a state TV report that soldiers were trying to regain the city. “The army is fighting fierce battles to restore the situation back to what it was,” Reuters news agency quoted the TV channel as saying.
The Syrian government has not commented, but in effect conceded that it had lost ground through a state TV report that soldiers were trying to regain the city. It was not immediately clear whether many civilians had been killed in the battle for the city. Its population had been swollen by hundreds of thousands of displaced people, who had fled there to escape fighting elsewhere. More than 200,000 people have died in Syria’s four-year-old war.
“The army is fighting fierce battles to restore the situation back to what it was,” Reuters news agency quoted the TV channel as saying. On Saturday UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said he was angry and shamed by the failure of the world to stop the fighting and promised to step up diplomatic efforts.
It was not immediately clear whether many civilians had been killed in the battle for the city. Its population had been swollen by hundreds of thousands of displaced people, who had fled there to escape fighting elsewhere. More than 200,000 people have died in Syria’s four-year-old war, and millions more driven from their homes. • This article was amended on Saturday 28 March 2015 to remove the description of Idlib and the surrounding province as being part of President Assad’s Alawite heartland.
Yesterday UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said he was angry and shamed by the failure of the world to stop the fighting and promised to step up diplomatic efforts.