Abo Araj: De-escalation agreements held to protect regime's areas not Idlib

AL-SHAHBA

The deputy of the Commander-in-Chief of Jaish al-Thuwar forces Ahmed al-Sultan (Abu Araj) said that Idlib governorate is in a state of chaos, especially after the transfer of the mercenary gangs and their families from areas within Syria towards it under the Turkish-Russian deal, expecting that the regime’s aerial bombardment on Idlib would continue for a long time to exhaust it and take the majority of civilians out from it before breaking out a ground battle to control it.

The Syrian governorate of Idlib has recently been being subjected to heavy shelling by the Syrian regime. The shelling concentrates on the southern and eastern countryside of Idlib and Maaret al-Numan city as dozens of civilians were killed. About Idlib’s file and the latest political and field changes in the area, ANHA interviewed the deputy of the general commander Ahmed al-Sultan (Abu Araj).

The following is the text of the interview:

What does the recent escalation by the Syrian regime about Idlib indicate? Is it possible to say that the agreement to De-escalation that was an outcome of Astana has ended with this escalation?

Idlib was not included in the agreement originally only through the establishment of the Turkish observation points, and the latter was not for the De-escalation in that area and for the protection of Idlib or the opposition, but to protect the areas under the control of the Syrian regime that are surrounded to the areas of the mercenary gangs because the factions existing in Idlib as Hayet Tahrir al-Sham, Ansar al-Din and Ansar al-Islam are not included in the convention. Therefore, the regime will continue to bombard the areas controlled by the mercenaries that have been mentioned earlier to displace or subjugate the people of those areas to its areas. This bombing will bear brutal consequences because the regime does not distinguish between the civilian and the military.

Recently, the mercenaries in Idlib arrested hundreds of those who were calling for reconciliation with the Syrian regime, does this step means that Idlib will witness a bloody battle, and are the mercenaries able to stand against the attacks of the regime?

After several months of fighting between Hayet Tharir al-Sham and the so-called National Liberation Front which resulted in killing hundreds of the two parties, we see them today as allies and a joint operation room has been formed between them under the auspices of Turkey. They claim that they will purge Idlib from IS organization and those who promote reconciliation to allow the regime to enter Idlib, but in fact, this room is not involved in this work although the National Front and Hayet Tharir al-Sham had raided several areas in the city of Idlib and its southern and eastern countryside and arrested more than one hundred people who have no relation with IS or the regime. This is a filthy plan of Hayet Tahrir al-Sham, and the National Front will be a victim of this plan. People who have been arrested are the notables and Sheikhs of tribes of the area, and this comes to put pressure on the people of the area to subject them and control all the influences of the eastern Maaret al-Numan area and southeast of Idlib governorate.

What is the fate of 2.5 million civilians who came from al-Ghouta, Homs and Daraa in addition to the people present in Idlib after the escalation by the Syrian regime, and how are the current situations in Idlib?

Idlib governorate has been witnessing chaos and this chaos has increased after getting the mercenaries' families out from the areas of Daraa, Easter al-Ghouta and several other areas and gathering in Idlib. Every day, cases of assassinations and explosions occur in the city of Idlib, and the bombing of the regime was added to them that reached Khan Sheikhun city days ago. On Wednesday, ​​Uram al-Kobra witnessed air strikes that killed dozens of civilians, and the shelling resulted in displacing thousands of people to the center of Idlib and others to the city of Sarmada, but 67 civilians lost their lives due to the explosion of an ammunition depot belonging to Jabhet al-Nusra in Sarmada.

Is there a possibility that the regime forces will launch a military campaign against Idlib? If it would start, what would be the consequences?

It is unlikely that the regime forces will attack Idlib by land because there are Turkish observation points, but I think that the air attacks on Idlib will continue to protect the regime in the southern, eastern and western countryside of Idlib. The regime also aims to empty the areas from civilians as much as possible during this period. OCHA Organization called on all the organizations to support Afad Organization for humanitarian emergency and to provide $ 250 million for the opening of a camp in Afrin canton to accommodate about half a million civilians to take the necessary procedures towards the possibility of launching a military campaign in Idlib.

There are rumors about the participation of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) beside the regime forces in the battle to liberate Idlib and the Syrian north, what is the truth of this news?

There have been rumors recently about the willingness of SDF to participate in the liberation battle of Idlib, but I deny sending SDF to Aleppo or Idlib until now, but it is possible that SDF would enter as a rescuing faction or to relieve the burden of the people of Idlib under an air cover by the International Alliance.

ANHA