Rebel fighters sit inside an armoured vehicle during what they said was an offensive to take the Syrian city of Idlib on March 24, 2015. Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
Rebel fighters sit inside an armoured vehicle during what they said was an offensive to take the Syrian city of Idlib on March 24, 2015. Khalil Ashawi / Reuters

Can Syria remain whole without Idlib?



Recent developments in the battle for northern Syria could have a dramatic effect on the likelihood of Syria remaining one contiguous state when the dust of war finally settles. A coalition of radical insurgents that includes members of Al Nusra Front, a group linked to Al Qaeda, has taken over most of Idlib. The news, which comes amid the bombing raids in Yemen and Northern Iraq, is equally, if not more important.

Idlib, a provincial capital with 100,000 residents, is a pivotal town. Located on a crucial road that links Damascus to Aleppo, its fate has been a matter of concern for all the disparate groups in the Syrian conflict. Now it has fallen into the wrong hands.

If the militants are able to entrench themselves in Idlib, it will be the second major city after ISIL’s capture of Raqaa to have been pried away from the regime. Al Nusra Front, along with its network of Sunni rebel allies, remains opposed to ISIL but that hasn’t stopped them from deploying tactics of similar depravity. The Idlib operation underlines that Al Nusra Front is a serious fighting force. The last thing Syria needs is the emergence of yet another extremist movement with the ability to capture entire cities.

The fall of Idlib and other towns to Al Nusra Front point to two critical developments in the Syrian civil war. The first is the rise of extremist rebels not aligned with Bashar Al Assad’s government or with ISIL. While Al Nusra’s role in the conflict has been overshadowed by ISIL, the fact of the matter is that northern Syria has become a hotbed of religious radicals. The taking of Idlib by them doesn’t bode well for the future as it raises questions about the likelihood of Syria ceasing to be a unified state.

All of this points to the centrality of Aleppo to the conflict. The Syrian regime has used the cover of coalition attacks on ISIL to entrench its hold over Aleppo through deadly barrel bombing raids on rebel-held parts of the city and the siege of rebel neighbourhoods. Idlib, given its central position to Aleppo and Al Assad stronghold of Latakia, is a vital component of the regime’s plans to mark off a corridor from Damascus to northern Syria that could be the home of a future Alawite state if the country splits. For the moment, Al Qaeda-linked militants have put the brakes on the regime’s scheme but this too only underlines the fluidity of the conflict.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now