Jihadists Pull Out of North Syria Town

W460

Jihadists on Friday withdrew from Saraqeb, their last bastion in the Syrian province of Idlib, five days into a major battle in the town against local rebels, a monitor said.

In the region of Aleppo, rebels also made advances except in Jarabolos on the border with Turkey, which the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant withdrew at dawn today from Saraqeb to Sermin."

"ISIL withdrew after their situation there became very hard... and after they were besieged by Islamist and moderate rebel groups from all sides," said Abdel Rahman.

Their retreat comes two weeks into a major rebel offensive against the jihadist ISIL.

While rebels and jihadists were once allied in the fight against President Bashar Assad, ISIL's quest for hegemony and its horrific abuses against the local population and opposition has turned rebels -- including other Islamists -- against them.

Abu Leila, a rebel from Idlib who is opposed to both Assad and ISIL, told Agence France Presse that the jihadists "withdrew to save themselves".

Dozens of ISIL fighters were killed or injured in the fighting for Saraqeb, where a major battle pitting rebels and jihadists broke out on Monday.

Saraqeb was once a key source of inspiration for moderate activists using art and other peaceful means to protest Assad's regime.

Long out of regime control, it fell to ISIL last month.

The battle for Saraqeb is part of a wider rebel offensive against ISIL in several parts of Syria, which in two weeks has killed nearly 1,100 people, most of them fighters on both sides.

In Aleppo, two ISIL suicide bombers detonated themselves near checkpoints manned by rival rebels, said the Aleppo Media Center, a grassroots network of citizen journalists.

ISIL has staged some two dozen suicide attacks in the past two weeks targeting rebel positions. Scores of rebels and civilians have died as a result.

In Jarabolos, on Aleppo province's border with Turkey, ISIL "took total control... after fierce fighting against rebels," said the Observatory.

Abdel Rahman also said ISIL summarily executed several rebels captured during the fighting.

But in another part of the province, rebels pushed out ISIL fighters from an army post they had turned into a jihadist bastion.

Rebels fighting ISIL have described progress in their war against the jihadist as "mixed."

"In some areas, there is good progress. In others, the situation is bad," said one Islamic Front fighter, whose alliance is among the key groups battling both ISIL and Assad's regime.

On another front, Assad loyalists shelled Madira, northeast of Damascus, killing 11 people, said the Observatory.

Syria's nearly three-year war has killed more than 130,000 people and forced millions of others to flee their homes.

Comments 6
Thumb proudm14. 17 January 2014, 15:10

Allahu Akbar :)

Bless the FSA and the IF for their courage.

Thumb joker37 17 January 2014, 15:42

My popcorn is running out!

Thumb -phoenix1 17 January 2014, 20:05

Finally, the Takfiris are being given the royal boot treatment by the FSA, finally, a bit late but never too late.

Thumb lebanon_first 17 January 2014, 16:37

God bless the moderates in FSA... May they crush the ISIL mercenaries...

Default-user-icon JCWilliams (Guest) 17 January 2014, 17:16

Lebanon first. There aren't any moderates out there. The guys pulling triggers are all extremists. Don't let the wind blow thoughts into your mind. These guys are getting paid too die . They are backed by the West and are most probably under the indirect control of the CIA as part of an end game strategy/To pull off a negotiated settlement the hard line Islamist Groups that want a caliphate have to be forced out. Notice the USA is also supportive of the putsch against al-Qaeda in Iraq . Two fronts. Party over.Two many idiots from the West volunteered , West says , enough is enough. Saudis get the message. Take off the Rose Colored Glasses.

Thumb -phoenix1 17 January 2014, 20:07

On a separate note, I would have thought that these Jihadist, Takfiri Salafists came from all over the world to die, yes, die, yet when the going gets tough, these sick people know how to run, and run fast. Good word FSA, reclaim what is yours.