Tal Beeri and Dana Polak
After several days of clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (the Kurds) and the security forces of the al-Sharaa regime, Kurdish forces have lost their hold on the northern part of the city of Aleppo for the first time since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Specifically, the neighborhoods of al-Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud. The entire city is now under the control of the al-Sharaa regime.
Outwardly, the regime was careful to present the operation as one conducted in accordance with international legal norms: issuing warnings in advance for civilians to evacuate the neighborhoods prior to shelling and the entry of forces, providing buses for evacuees, and even declaring a temporary ceasefire intended to allow Kurdish forces to withdraw from the area.
At the same time, some regime forces were accompanied by media personnel who documented the moves and provided real-time commentary, emphasizing an alleged commitment to protecting Syrian civilians while portraying the Kurdish forces as harming the local civilian population and even using it as human shields. This was done, for example, through staged meetings with local residents meant to convey cooperation and even joy at the entry of regime forces. These steps were primarily intended to create the appearance of lawful and responsible conduct and to secure legitimacy in the international arena.
However, alongside the official narrative and publications, a completely different picture emerged on channels and social media. Many footage that was published (and we chose not to share them) showed the humiliation and abuse of Kurdish men and women who were captured, brutal killings and executions of prisoners, the burning of bodies, bodies being thrown from balconies, and harm to civilians—including wounded women and children—who were unable to flee the fighting zones.
It appears that the al-Sharaa regime has learned lessons from the massacres of Alawites along the Syrian coast and of Druze in Suwayda. Outwardly, it now presents an image of organized and ostensibly legitimate military conduct. In reality, however, the regime’s security forces and army include numerous jihadist elements that have merely been rebranded as organic units. Their extremist ideology remains the central factor shaping their actions—just as it did on the Syrian coast and in Suwayda.
2 Responses
Dear Avraham,
I completely agree with your report, and consider the al Sharra regime as another deceiving venomous jihaddist snake. The smell of al jazeera islamonazi terrorist propaganda lies and the intentional misrepresentation of the facts stinks with the smell of islamonazi qatari/muslim brotherhood funding. For tyrants to succeed good men must do nothing! All who love Liberty must now take Action!!!
Dear Avraham,
It is better that we should support the Kurds our allies against Isis, and the Druze the brothers of Israel and also the descendants of Moses’ father in law. Al Sharra and his radical jihaddists bands of terror attempting to indoctrinate and subjugate the entire country of Syria under sharia law is both immoral and illegal. May the jihaddist snakes turn and attack each other to the death.