Ishtabraq Massacre

In late April 2015, militants of Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamist allies in the "army of conquest" - that had just conquered Idlib and Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib province - also took control of an Alawi (Alawite) village named Ishtabraq (Arabic: اشتبرق) on April 25. They reportedly killed about 50 locals and abducted others before they lost the town soon after. But then, it seems, they re-took it on April 29, and according to the Syrian government massacred some 200 locals(combined death toll then is 250 or so, by reports), and captured however many more. In the second assault the Islamist attackers reportedly used chemical weapons, completely emptied the town of its Alawi inhabitants, and retained control, destroying a shrine, and so on.

Available details are still sketchy and confused in June. So far the subject has been debated on social media, but barely mentioned in the media, outside Syria. It seems too large and credible an allegation to stay that way, and in the interest of catching ourselves and the public up on the alleged details, here is our page.

Background
Location: just SW of Jisr al-Shughour, near the besieged National Hospital - on Wikimapia, labeled as an Alawi village.

The exact role of the al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra is not clear at the moment, but likely. A later Reuters report from June 11, about the ensuing Qalb Lawzah Massacre included this insight into JaN's attitude to people like the inhabitants of Ishtabraq (which is not mentioned in the report):


 * In an interview with Al Jazeera news channel last month, the leader of the Nusra Front urged members of the Alawite sect, another minority, to change their beliefs and to renounce President Bashar al-Assad, a fellow Alawite, if they wanted to remain safe.

Videos
(incomplete)
 * May 15 tweet #Ishtabraq #FSAcrimes #Syria documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVvC1h9AlN8 Al-Mayadeen, Arabic, 51 minutes


 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irlYfMc4FgMtweet Idleb. "My house was destroyed, my friends were killed, my neighbours were taken" Zein from Ishtabraq telling his..."


 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo0BAjINckkMay 1 Eyewitness to what happened in Ishtabraq - Jisr Al Shughur, Idlib Massacre


 * kids video, posted May 11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psOYCw4lxyA tweet

مشاهد من تحرير قرية اشتبرق النصيرية والسهول المحيطة بها - features scene inset of Mark-1 plumbing truck.
 * Navid Nasr Facebook post April 27 with rebel hero video of military attacks, not massacring
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p96zdAv_LyQ Addounia survivors video
 * and another https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMPhRozJWP8
 * May 25, video of shirtless men being whipped badly by takfiris, and a little boy https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/videos/685480208224623/
 * fighting video April 27/Almuhajeren Wlansar


 * Al-Manar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzAkNAczRQc
 * Witness : the people of اشتبرق, I inform the system to ignore us, and we sleep in the streets without shelter. Pro-opposition Orient TV, using Syrian radio and TV footage? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nruf88VmWs
 * May 1 talking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLMCRpmwXUo
 * talking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHM5SHYV-lw
 * Terrorist groups blow up the shrine of the greens, peace be upon him in Ishtabraq May 21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3riXyNQErM (Chechens w/Russian accents laughing at the place, then it's blown up)

Social Media

 * some survivor photos on Twitter
 * Some names in Arabic on Twitter
 * Leith Fadel, April 26 Everyone from the Khodor family have been massacred at Ishtabraq! All 11 family members, with children as young as 2 years old!
 * Facebook posts were mentioned - more of these may be worth digging up.
 * https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad?ref=br_rs Ishtabraq loyalist page (Arabic), covers the Islamist crimes there and other local issues.
 * https://www.facebook.com/Talimia.Kdamia/posts/523902427749244 A list of 85 named massacre victims - up to 25 from a Grad/Jrad family, ages not clear but male and female names appear.
 * Apparently April 25 is the date to remember https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/photos/a.641107342661910.1073741829.640840086021969/682298408542803/?type=1
 * May 16, on a woman and children freed in exchange for takfiris https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/photos/a.641107342661910.1073741829.640840086021969/682293358543308/?type=1
 * Martyr Qasem Yousef al-Masri https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/photos/a.641107342661910.1073741829.640840086021969/681861405253170/?type=1
 * Martyr Zaher Grad/Jrad (25 Grads listed as killed - this one looks set to be beheaded, not clear)
 * https://www.facebook.com/banias.sy/posts/964358276931511 April 23 - reports: Al-Nusra and their allies trying to break into the city and barriers military stationed on by a car bomb exploded near the hospital (attacks in area,) specifically for free Shimmer (Ishtabraq) with hundreds of missiles and Rockets ...
 * Newspaper obituary/announcement? https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/photos/a.641107342661910.1073741829.640840086021969/680019732104004/?type=1
 * Captured girl? (concerns about virginity?) https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/photos/a.641107342661910.1073741829.640840086021969/680262135413097/?type=1
 * May 3, video (survivors?) https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/videos/677858962320081/
 * Photos, dozens of men, "prisoners" https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/posts/677198995719411
 * April 30, shirtless prisoners https://www.facebook.com/eshtabrakallasad/posts/676943535744957
 * April 29 photo, 7 children smiling in a field, same stamps as prisoner men photos "And some of the prisoners. Kids May God be with them"


 * Zaid Benjamin June 10 Jabhat al-Nusra summarily executed 30 Durzi men in Qaleb Lawze town in #Idlib. The 2nd sectarian massacre in the province after Eshtabraq.


 * EA Worldview April 28 #Syria Daily (w Video Link): Rebels Execute Captured Regime Soldier in #Ishtabraq, South of #Idlib http://eaworldview.com/2015/04/syria-daily-assad-regime-the-media-are-lying-about-rebel-victories/#ishtabraq …


 * Hassan Ridha ‏@sayed_ridha Apr 28 What happened in #Ishtabraq is very similar to what they did in Alawite villages in #Latakia, most men killed, women children captured


 * Syrian Perspective ‏@SyrianperNews · Apr 26 points to...
 * On Facebook 130 civilians have been massacred at ‪#‎Ishtabraq‬ south of Jisr Al-‪#‎Shughour‬! The village is mostly Alawi and near my grandmother's village of Halouz. -Leith


 * Leith Abou Fadel ‏@leithfadel · Apr 26   I love the justification for killing Alawis at Ishtabraq is "payback" - get fucked

http://www.damascus-now.com/home/news/2388
 * Ahmad Al-Issa ‏@ahmadalissa · May 26 #Syria: #Turkish officer involved in #Ishtabraq massacre near #Jisr_Al-Shugour: 250 murdered


 * May 21 #Jaish_Fateh have destroyed the Shrine of Alawite Sheikh Sayyedna Al-Khudr in #Ishtabraq #Jisr_Shughour


 * May 1 Urs link, photo of a victim.

Inset: the photo


 * April 30 Turkey protest


 * April 29, Turkey celebrsation?

Rebel Tweets

 * The brigade of the faith @imanbrigade Apr 25 #Idlib #لواء_الإيمان The liberation of the villages of "اشتبرق وغانية والسرمانية" in the countryside of #جسر_الشغور South after the battle with the militia of the #Assad


 * Jarjanaz 25 April Freeing the city of #Jisr al-Shughour, entire village #Ishtabraq #nusayris #Alawites in #rural West (Eastern Arabic date includes (20)15 and (April) 25) (standard battle compilation)

Inset: fleeing photo:
 * Abu Ubayda 26 Apr 2015 #Ansar_deen Murtadeen flee in their hundreds before the mujahideen in Ishtabraq town.]


 * Jabhat Al Nusra Eng @abja78 - #Jabhatalnusra Nysayria flee out from #Jisr_Shughour Hospital and Mujahedeen kill and arrest most of them. Allah Akber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f1iReJp3YU …
 * Julian Röpcke ‏@JulianRoepcke · Apr 28  Finally some #footage of rebels taking #Ishtabraq, S-W of #Jisr_Al_Shughur.


 * Julian Röpcke ‏@JulianRoepcke · Apr 28 Gosh! See multiple-vehicle collision of fleeing #Assad forces South of #Ishtabraq.


 * Ottoman İslambol۱٤٥٣ ‏@Ottomanisambol · Jun 5  After storming Ishtabraq, a Nusayri town in Idlib Prov., #Syria|n rebels encounter occult symbols (#Shia + Masonic). (images from the destroyed shrine)

Critical of Massacre Claims

 * Abdul ‏@al_7aleem · Apr 26  @BosnjoBoy @leithfadel 8 hours later still 0 evidence of Ishtabraq massacre save Leith's claims and a fake image by SANA from November.


 * GEOrge ‏@ArtWendeley · Apr 28  #Idlib: Still not clear what happened in Ishtabraq. Pro regime sources are reporting a rebel massacre.


 * Hans Scholl ‏@ver_scholl_en · May 2  @Conflict_Report @finriswolf no doubt reports about ishtabraq where widely disseminated among troops—instill motivation to fight hard now


 * GEOrge ‏@ArtWendeley · May 22@EliotHiggins @AbuJamajem They could instantly act to protect Alawite villages during offensives. Failed with Ishtabraq just recently...

GEOrge ‏@ArtWendeley · June 10 @leithfadel I suspect Ishtabraq killings related to the chaotic retreat of military and civilians. @BosnjoBoy @zaidbenjamin


 * June 10 conversation below Zaid Benjamin's tweet "... Istabraq when claimed over 120 civilians killed, proven to be fake"

Execution Video

 * Video: Idlib : "Moderate Syrian Rebels" Executes a Surrendered SAA Soldier 28-04-2015 - an unarmed man is shot dead by a group of Islamists who don't seem the slightest bit ashamed. Possibly in Ishtabraq, but either way a clue of what would happen if rebels did get into that town. A comment provides this translation:
 * Rebel 1: GET BACK NOW!
 * Rebel 2: One of Assads dogs
 * Soldier: Just let me...
 * Rebel 2: Where are you from?
 * Soldier: Tartous
 * Rebel 2: Alawite or Sunni
 * Soldier: Alawite
 * Rebel 1: Get BACK!
 * Rebel 2: Sit on the ground
 * (Fire Shots)
 * Rebel 2: Allahuakbar
 * Other rebels: non Syrian dialect (Tunisians?)
 * Other rebels: Allahuakbar
 * Rebel 4: I swear to God we will behead them one by one, EVERY SINGLE ONE (Last rebel was not Syrian