Turkey Uses Iraqi ISIS Members to Operate in Syria

Turkish soldiers guard a position on Mount Bersaya, north of the Syrian town of Azaz, on January 29, 2018. (AFP)
Turkish soldiers guard a position on Mount Bersaya, north of the Syrian town of Azaz, on January 29, 2018. (AFP)
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Turkey Uses Iraqi ISIS Members to Operate in Syria

Turkish soldiers guard a position on Mount Bersaya, north of the Syrian town of Azaz, on January 29, 2018. (AFP)
Turkish soldiers guard a position on Mount Bersaya, north of the Syrian town of Azaz, on January 29, 2018. (AFP)

Detailed information about a battalion comprised of dozens of Iraqi ISIS elements operating in Syria has been provided by reliable sources to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The battalion, which is headquartered in Syria’s al-Bab and consists of nearly 40 Iraqi members, operates under the Ahrar al-Sharqiyah faction and works for Turkish intelligence.

According to the sources, it is tasked with carrying out assassinations and bombings and spying on foreign ISIS members, who attempt to flee to Turkish territory and are hiding in the Aleppo countryside, before later imprisoning them. Some have been killed, while others were taken to Turkey in return for large sums of money.

A deal was also reached to send some jailed members to Libya to fight alongside the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, the sources told the Observatory.

The battalion operates a notorious prison in al-Bab and is led by Abu Waqqas al-Iraqi, who moves freely between Turkey and Aleppo’s eastern countryside.

“Abu Waqqas travels comfortably between Turkey and Aleppo countryside, and he appeared in a picture taken in the Turkish province of Sanlıurfa documenting his meeting with ISIS Commander Abu Osama al-Tayanah,” said the sources.

They pointed out that Abu Waqqas has been laying low for nearly two months now. It it is not yet known whether he had traveled to Libya to fight for the GNA or headed to Egypt with large sums of money in his possession, as Abu Hudhayfah al-Hamawi did.

Abu Hudhayfah, a former commander of the Ahrar Al-Sham, had fled to Egypt after stealing large sums of money from the then newly-founded Ahrar al-Sharqiyah faction.

“The Iraqi battalion has recently transferred inmates from its prison in al-Bab to Idlib city, where they were received by Abu Ali al-Iraqi, a commander in Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham,” revealed the sources.

Among the transferees are Tunisians Belal al-Shawashi and Abu Al-Waleed, Iraqi national, Abu Usama, and Egyptians, all of whom were ISIS commanders.

Sources said the Iraqi battalion buries its victims in a mass grave on the outskirts of Susanbat village along the al-Bab and al-Ra’i road in Aleppo’s northeastern countryside. It has killed nearly 300 civilians, military members and ISIS fighters and buried them in its mass grave, the Observatory was told.



Trump Victory Fuels Fears of Netanyahu’s Increased Freedom in Lebanon

Smoke rises from Beirut’s southern suburbs following Israeli attacks. (AFP)
Smoke rises from Beirut’s southern suburbs following Israeli attacks. (AFP)
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Trump Victory Fuels Fears of Netanyahu’s Increased Freedom in Lebanon

Smoke rises from Beirut’s southern suburbs following Israeli attacks. (AFP)
Smoke rises from Beirut’s southern suburbs following Israeli attacks. (AFP)

Lebanese are watching closely after Donald Trump’s election as US president, hoping his policies might bring solutions to regional crises and possibly halt wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Observers caution, however, that change won’t be immediate or at Israel’s expense; instead, they expect Israel could have more military leeway before peace efforts begin.

Trump didn’t outline his plans to end conflicts during his victory speech, only briefly mentioning the issue.

Fares Soeid, a former Lebanese MP, called Trump’s win a potential global turning point, particularly in conflict zones like Ukraine and the Middle East. Soeid believes Trump’s support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s far-right may intensify.

Soeid told Asharq Al-Awsat that Trump’s election could hasten military actions on the Lebanese-Israeli border, allowing Netanyahu more freedom to secure military objectives and strengthen Israel’s negotiating position.

He suggested key UN resolutions intended to control arms in Lebanon may lose focus, with the goal shifting to place all weapons under state control.

There is concern in Lebanon over any change to Resolution 1701, which maintains the ceasefire with Israel.

Soeid clarified that Trump might not scrap these resolutions outright but could push for tighter arms restrictions, ensuring only Lebanon’s government holds power over weapons.

He believes the US may aim to create a cohesive Lebanese leadership to enforce these measures, essentially enabling Netanyahu more flexibility in regional matters.

The US election drew intense interest in Lebanon, with citizens and officials closely tracking the campaigns and vote results, hoping for a positive shift.

Lebanese politician Khaldoun Sharif noted that Trump reached out to Lebanese Americans during his campaign, promising to bring peace to Lebanon quickly.

He sees Trump’s advisor, Lebanese-born Massad Boulos, as potentially instrumental in highlighting Lebanon’s needs to the new administration.

Sharif criticized the outgoing Democratic administration’s handling of conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, saying it failed to curb Netanyahu’s plans despite multiple ceasefire proposals.

As Trump prepares to take office on January 20, Sharif emphasized that Lebanon is eager for a complete ceasefire, adherence to Resolution 1701, a consensus-backed president, and a transparent, reform-oriented government to rebuild trust with Arab nations and the international community.

Sharif voiced disappointment that past US administrations have often overlooked Lebanon’s significance.

Now, amid a severe conflict, he hopes Trump will act swiftly to end the violence, support reconstruction, and restore Lebanon’s standing on the regional stage.