Category talk:Idlib

Fall of Idlib?
(Denial often accompanies defeat. The Western media denied for six days the fall of the Donetsk airport.)

Ziad Fadel denies that Idlib has fallen to the rebels. (See also Ziad in 2014)
 * IDLIB: BRITISH LIARS CAUGHT AGAIN! IDLIB FIRMLY IN HANDS OF SYRIAN ARMY - Ziad Fadel, 30 March 2015

Older story by Reuters. Again the government denies the fall.
 * Islamist groups seize Syrian city Idlib for first time - Reuters, 28.3.2015

Video: -- Petri Krohn (talk) 03:44, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Syria: Idlib 'captured' by Islamist rebels in blow to Assad regime - Euronews, 28 March 2015


 * Even his son accepts it. Well, the videos are quite clear. Took me only a casual look to find the place of this allahuakbarking orgy. Pretty much in the center of Idlib. Good thing is that the town seems to be pretty empty of civilians, so the retreat seems to have been orderly and planned. --CE (talk) 16:06, 31 March 2015 (UTC)

Analysis video:
 * Syrian Girl News analyzes Western media acceptance of an al-Qaeda victory (as she sees it) as "rebel/Islamist/opposition" and a welcome blow to "Assad" rule. Not a bad piece. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:50, 3 April 2015 (UTC)

Attacks After

 * more alleged chlorine barrel bomb attacks reported, March 29 and 31. See here --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:55, 6 April 2015 (UTC)


 * Thomas van Linge ‏tweets Mar 30 #Syria: regime warplanes #Idlib's christian community, rebels and civil defense rush to help. Video linked. --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:07, 6 April 2015 (UTC)


 * SHRC March 30: Warplane bombing on al-Shamaliya neighbourhood (Idlib- near Abdul Rahman Al-Ghafaqi School), led to the killings of 32 civilians from the Ramadan family consisting of the father, his children, grandchildren, sisters and brothers.

The victims of the massacre:

- Majida Ramadan, her husband and children. They reach a total of eight victims, including her grandchild and daughter-in-law.

- Khadija Ramadan with her children, grandchildren and her daughters-in-law, reaching a total of 15 victims.

- Ameera Ramadan and her daughters, reaching six victims.

- Sons of the deceased Fatima Ramadan, reaching three victims.

We have it on the word of conquering Islamists that this family really was hit at random by the government and provides another good reason they should be given an air force. But in reality, a targeting that specific and total suggests someone really hated that family. There are always collaborators to take care of when you first take over a city, the people who helped make the previous situation possible, and this Ramadan family (as given) might have had some of those people as members. --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:55, 6 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Tweet adds that more were killed, not just the family: 55 total. Photo included - four young children, dusty like shelling victims, but completely intact. And yet, dead. What, did they just suffocate completely in their non-crushing space under the rubble? All four? Hm... --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:07, 6 April 2015 (UTC)


 * Interestingly, VDC has a totally different record. Just to be sure, 3-day span 3-29 to 3-31, Idlib shelling deaths 21 total, 18 in a likely massacre of a family named Theith (with wives, and some unidentified men). Where is this 55 civilins shelling thing? I check for yuks "regime fatalities" list. Whoa. Won't let me pull up a date, but ATM if you just pull up all, the most recent appear. March 30, 63 "regime fatalities" All but one in this massacre. All rank: civilian, from Hama Salamia: Almaboujeh village  2015-03-30  Field Execution. Al Mab`ujah on Wikimapia Notes on one say "More than 60 civilians were slaughtered and burnt in field execution by ISIS when ISIS attacked al-Maboujeh Village in the eastern countryside of Al Salamiia in Hama." 62 entries:

Ahmed Mouahmmed Hashem Attia Muhammad Ali Atfeh Ghada Taj Al Deen Atfeh Wahida Taj Al Denn Atfeh Ahmed Taj Al Deen Atfeh Ghaleb Ebrahim Habeel Ghaleb Ebrahim Habeel Wife Ghaleb Ebrahim Habeel's Daughter 1 Ghaleb Ebrahim Habeel's Daughter 2 Abu Gawhar Abu Gawhar's Wife Abu Gawhar's Son Abu Gawhar's Daughter Ebrahim al-Me'mar Ebrahim al-Me'mar's Wife Joudi Jamal al-Jarmani Ebrahim al-Me'mar's Son Ebrahim al-Me'mar's Daughter Muhsen Fayyad Muhsen Fayyad's Wife Ya'roub Mousa Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Raheel Habeel Hasan Ref'at Habeel Hussein Muhammad al-Me'mar Hussein al-Me'mar Ahmed Mustafa Abd al-Mu'ti Mustafa al-Haj Nawras al-Haj Yussouf Um Mustafa al-Haj Yussouf Ahmed Mohammed Majed Ahmed Habeel Moussa al-Ali Khaled Moussa al-Ali Moussa Mansour al-Ali Abdulla Moussa al-Ali Abdulla Moussa al-Ali's Wife Noura Hamadi al-Moussa Shehada Hamadi al-Mousa Ya'roub Mohammed al-Mousa Mohammed Atiia Hyam Yousuf al-Ahmed Muhsen Fayyad al-Ahmed Ousama Hashem al-Jundi Khitam al-Sheikh Ali Ali Ousama al-Jundi Laith Ousama al-Jundi Ali Abed Naseef Mukhlef al-Sabbag Mukhlef al-Sabbag's Wife Jamila Fatima al-Dakheel Nawras Hasan Shaheen Nawras Hasan Shaheen's Wife Sarhan Dyab Yaser Ayman al-Me'mar Mohammed Arab

Khudr Hashem Ezzo

Ali Mohammed Azzab al-Ebrahim Alaa' Abd al-Kareem Na'nou' Hekmat Abdulla Ebrahim Dagrour

Khaled al-Deeb --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:14, 12 April 2015 (UTC)

This did stand out, and still does; one massacre of about 60 reported here and ignored there, another about the same size the other way around ... and in one case it names the wives (same maiden name) and the other the husbands (different names, about 10 total). However, the VDC does also list what sounds a bit like this Ramadan sisters thing - just a week earlier, in a different town, and quite a bit smaller.
 * March 24, 13 Idlib civilians, killed in Saraqeb, by warplane shelling. "The martyrdom of a group of people as a result of rocket fire from Alsaikoa military plane" To SNHR's Majida, Khadija, Ameera, and Fatima Ramadan, we have only Zahia Ramadan	 (wife of Khaled Alramadan) and Fatima Khaled al-Ramadan, not specified, sounds like their daughter maybe. The other main cluster of people includes four girls named  Ismaeil, with unclear parentage. Check this out: Adnan Ali Haj Ismaeil, Civilian  Adult - Male. And he died alongside three wives, or it sounds like, the wives of three of his brothers (?) Shamseh Haj Ismaeil (wife of Asaad Haj Ismaeil) - Dalal Ibraheem Haj Khalil (wife of Ali Haj Ismaeil) - Roba Abd al-Kareem al-Eido (wife of Ammar Haj Ismaeil). Wife of Adnan, not mentioned.

This doesn't quite sound like the SHRC story either. In fact, that sounds a bit like a hybrid of these other cases. Remains pretty murky. --Caustic Logic (talk) 08:34, 13 April 2015 (UTC)

SHRC: "warplane shelling" kills "32 civilians from the Ramadan family" and probably citing that, others say "55 people incl 32 from same family." But their own daily summary says "Idlib witnessed the killings of 32 civilians (total); 27 in vacuum missiles and surface-to-surface missile shelling on Idlib and Ma’rra Masreen, among the victims were ten children and nine women and five were killed in clashes with government forces in Idlib." VDC lists 18 on the 30th, not that far off now.

(for al-Majouba Massacre page/section) - SAMA TV, shows govverment forces back in control, but there's bloody spots,m burnt spots, and blown-up spots they show.
 * http://www.ibtimes.co.in/al-mabujeh-massacre-isis-militants-behead-burn-30-civilians-syria-627774
 * http://laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2381796&CategoryId=12395
 * http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=2&cid=20&frid=23&seccatid=20&eid=203762
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOxBASAGI_s
 * VDC lists 62 soldiers killed by ISIS in Hama between March 20 and 22. Several apparent sets of brothers: killed defending their hometowns?

Syrian Human Rights C-word is surely watching human rights and horrible stuff, and have no love for Assad's tool, ISIS. their daily summary, March 30 Says only this for Hama province: "Additionally an elderly man and his wife were killed in Hama in shelling by government forces." Did they report it the next day? Don't know, actually. Report missing. Should bethis one, considering the pages just before and after (24768 and 24770 are the reports for 3/30 and 4/1) The next day? No. April 1: "Three civilians were killed in Hama; two in clashes with government forces and one under torture in a government prison." They also didn't get it on April 2 ("In Hama four civilians perished, two in shelling and two under torture in a government prison (identified through leaked photographs).") or on March 29 (Hama not mentioned at all). March overview 141 killed in Hama, no detail added there. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:09, 13 April 2015 (UTC)

Idlib's Liberation Massacre
Every liberated city gets at least one - local regime collaborators killed as soon as rebels get there, or the last innocents the regime could murder before they vaporized into thin air, leaving just these corpses, which are often in a horrible and tortured state, and likely burned beyond recognition. And of course the good news is rebels are in control then, but only after that bad stuff happened. (forthcoming) --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:40, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

Jisr al-Shughour Liberation Massacre
This one was on April 25, 2015, the day rebels took nearby Jisr al-Shughour.


 * Syrian Observer, April 27: "Terrorists massacred dozens of civilians on Sunday in the city of Jisr al-Shughour, northern Idleb province. A military source estimated the number of people killed at over 30, saying the majority of those were children and women. ... The killings, which took place in a square in the middle of Jisr al-Shughour, were carried out in retaliation against the locals for their support of army units fighting terrorist groups in the city." (as the media says, in a "blow to the Assad regime")

But this is of course contested. SOHR [http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/04/191-killed-yesterday-25042015/ 191 killed yesterday 25/04/2015 reports April 25,] blandly: "the military intelligence in Jesr al-Shughour executed 23 detainees." UPI reports April 27 "The militants executed 30 people early Sunday, mostly civilians, according to Syrian state news. According to SOHR, members of the Syrian military intelligence in Jisr al-Shughour executed 23 detainees. ... (also) On Saturday (the 25th) 10 people were killed by an airstrike in the center of Jisr al-Shughour, according to SOHR." That's 23+10=33 to Syria's 30+ estimated killed in a singular massacre in the town square.

is shared by 29 entries The other 5: 23 Unidentified an adult male standing in for 22 others not listed, or 22 others listed as shelling victims? He's the only one killed by field execution. Notes: "The execution of a group of detainees by the forces of regime within the military security prison before their withdrawal from the region." The other four are other shelling victims with the note "Martyred due to the regime air forces' shelling." So they have 33 killed by that, to SOHR's 23+10 massacre+shelling, in addition to the one guy and 22 unlisted others, for 56 total? Or is it just 33? Confusing.
 * The VDC has a list of civilians of a few families killed by "warplane shelling" The note "Unidentified been identified, due to the shelling of Somaa square"

And then there's an AFP report run at Arab News Daily Star, etc. on 25 April:
 * BEIRUT: Syrian government forces executed at least 23 prisoners before withdrawing from the city of Jisr Al-Shughur as rebel forces entered it on Saturday, a monitoring group said.

...
 * “Military intelligence members executed 23 prisoners before their withdrawal from the area of the National Hospital in the southwest of Jisr Al-Shughur,” the Observatory said. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the prisoners were being held near the main hospital building. News of the deaths came after a coalition of forces including Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front seized Jisr Al-Shughur on Saturday morning. (the 25th)
 * There were reports of an ongoing standoff at the hospital, I think after this, with differing stories whether it was just fighters holed inside or fighters and their families. --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:49, 18 May 2015 (UTC)
 * AlMasdar News reports May 24 the beleaguered soldiers and civilians no loner are. They had an escape route, got air support and used it. Those who escaped did, and anyone left behind is apparently lost. By this report, most made it. "127 soldiers and civilians have made it to safety thus far, including the commander of the operation – Colonel Mahmoud Sabha – who was interviewed by Syria’s “Al-Ikhbariya” shortly after his arrival in the provincial capital of the Latakia Governorate." However, al-Nusra has a video run by Orient TV (will need to review that) "which depicted over 100 SAA soldiers killed." But this is propaganda, maybe recycled footage, a military source says, as there were only "170-180 soldiers" to start and "127 soldiers and civilians" made it out safely. But I don't find that very convincing. Report notes "it will likely not be confirmed for a few days, as a number of soldiers have not been accounted for." --Caustic Logic (talk) 00:58, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

This story was posted as citing activist group, SOHR, as giving credence to the massacre claims. But it could have just as accurately titled the article al-Qaeda group in Syria claims government massacre in city it just overran, Continuing with AFP:
 * Al-Nusra also reported the apparent executions on one of its official Twitter accounts, posting a graphic photo showing the bodies of at least 14 men in a concrete room, some on top of others. The walls and floor of the room were smeared with blood, and bloodstains marked the shirts and trousers of several men. “A massacre carried out by the Nusayri army near the National Hospital before their withdrawal from the city of Jisr Al-Shughur,” the caption to the picture read, using a derogatory term for the Alawite sect to which President Bashar Assad belongs.


 * One of the comments at Daily Star questions the imagery, saying the blood looks too fresh to be anyone but the terrorists responsible. It would obviously not be a surprise. Even those only paying attention for a month might get it:
 * Last month, the Observatory and other sources reported a similar execution of prisoners by government forces fleeing Idlib’s provincial capital as rebels and Al-Nusra entered the city. At least 15 bodies were found in Idlib city’s military intelligence detention facility after the provincial capital fell on March 28.

--Caustic Logic (talk) 22:49, 18 May 2015 (UTC)


 * Alasema.com article showing al-Qaeda's massacre photo now embedded above Minimal content, auto-translated, seems to say al-Nusra front or "reporter Latakia's al-Nusra front" just "discovered" a massacre, "carried out by the regime forces against detainees ... within the prison next to the "National hospital" in jisr al-shughour." It notes they were shot and piled on each other, "in a scene that had become a recurring theme with each defeat received by the system." --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:40, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

Executing Alawites

 * 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. 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

Ishtabraq Massacre? Leith Fadel, Masdar News: http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/complete-field-report-from-jisr-al-shughour/
 * The Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” – in cooperation with Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Jaysh Al-Muhajireen, and Ajnad Al-Sham – captured the predominately Alawi village of Ishtabraq in southern Jisr Al-Shughour after three days of fierce firefights in the surrounding area.


 * Jabhat Al-Nusra and their allies originally captured the village of Ishtabraq during their capture of Jisr Al-Shughour; however, they lost the area during a brief Syrian Arab Army (SAA) offensive on Monday.


 * When the Al-Qaeda affiliate originally took the village of Ishtabraq, they reportedly executed 54 civilians, while the status of another 65 villagers was unknown; this report was confirmed by the villagers who escaped this area before the Al-Qaeda militants entered and they were later interviewed by Sham FM News.


 * At Musbeen, the Al-Qaeda affiliates were able to capture the Quarries to the north after a brief firefight with a small contingent of 14 soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army’s 87th Brigade; the latter would withdrawal to the village of Musbeen in order to regroup and protect the frontlines.

Location: just SW of Jisr al-Shughour (on Wikimapia) The VDC of course doesn't clearly list this - not even under regime forces fatalities. Should be around the 25th, when JaS was reported captured. The closest thing I see is 37 civilans killed April 26 by "shelling" in Darkoush (a ways north of JaS). --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:41, 29 April 2015 (UTC)