AMMAN // The struggle to stop ISIL spreading into southern Syria has burst into the open.
Moderate rebels and hardline factions including Jabhat Al Nusra are fighting militants connected to the extremists near the Israeli border.
At least 47 fighters have been killed over two weeks in ambushes, kidnappings and shootings.
The fighting has opened up a complex and multilayered conflict on the southern front, the place Syria’s uprising began in March 2011 and where rebels had managed to maintain a faltering unity in their war against president Bashar Al Assad and his allies, Hizbollah and Iran.
The fighting started on April 27 when a shadowy militant faction known as the Jihad Army carried out a surprise attack on a moderate rebel unit, Ahrar Nawa, which is backed by the Military Operations Command (MOC), a secret control centre in Amman staffed by military personnel from western and Gulf states.
Nine Ahrar Nawa fighters were killed and three others wounded in the ambush, which took place in Al Qahtaniyeh, near the frontier with Israel, opposition activists said. The 19-man Ahrar Nawa squad was en route to attack forces loyal to president Bashar Al Assad at the time.
Fighting under the black flag of ISIL – the first time it has been raised on the southern front, moderate rebels say – the Jihad Army also captured 20 fighters from the MOC-affiliated First Army and laid siege to a field hospital used by rebels in Al Maabar.
It remains unclear exactly how close to ISIL the Jihad Army is and whether it has formally pledged allegiance to ISIL leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi or if its association is more of an aspiration than reality. ISIL franchises have spread to 11 countries, including to Libya, Yemen and Nigeria
Rebel commanders familiar with the prevalent thinking in the MOC said it was treating the Jihad Army as part of ISIL and a serious threat.
“The Jihad Army has been a clandestine army. These are Daesh sleeper cells and now they have emerged,” said Bashar Al Zoubi, commander of the Yarmouk Army, a powerful rebel faction on the southern front. Daesh is another name for ISIL, widely used in Syria and Iraq.
Last Tuesday the Yarmouk Army attacked Jihad Army command posts in Al Qhataniyeh and Quneitra.
“We have sent forces to deal with them … We will not allow Daesh here. They know that they do not have a place for them in the south because our response was tough.”
Fighting back
Various moderate rebel factions, still colloquially known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), responded to the first ambush in Al Qahtaniyeh but they quickly scaled down their operations, allowing Nusra to take the lead.
The Al Qaeda affiliate has been at war with ISIL throughout Syria – often coming out second best. Key Nusra commanders and fighters in the south were previously in the eastern desert province of Deir Ezzor, which they were forced to flee after a humiliating ISIL takeover last July.
Apparently intent on not repeating that experience, Nusra mobilised its forces to face the Jihad Army. The day after the initial ambush, Nusra, working with Ahrar Al Sham, another ultraconservative faction, successfully overran several Jihad Army camps.
“They have besieged them,” said a rebel commander. “They took Al Samdaniyeh, Al Hamidiyeh and Al Qahtaniyeh and overran most of their [the Jihad Army’s] headquarters there.”
In the skirmishes, the Jihad Army’s leader, a Syrian militant from the Golan Heights known as Abu Musab Al Fannousi, was variously reported to have been captured and executed, seriously wounded or shot, less seriously, in the shoulder.
A voice recording posted on Twitter on May 1 appeared to dispel rumours of his death, with Al Fannousi calling Nusra and the FSA “puppets of the infidel regimes”, and accusing them of following orders from foreign states to attack the Jihad Army which, he said, “wanted to rule by God’s laws”. The recording was being treated as authentic by moderate rebels.
Rebel breakaways
Details about the Jihad Army remain patchy. Information from rebel fighters and social media sources indicates it was established in January by Al Fannousi and a militant called Abu Bashir, a defector from Al Nusra who took dozens of fighters with him.
It quickly grew to a force of between 400 and 600 men, according to a moderate rebel commander with knowledge of MOC intelligence assessments. Other rebels said it was smaller, numbering between 200 and 300 fighters.
Some of its members were drawn from other rebel groups, including Ahrar Al Sham, rebels said. One moderate fighter said he knew the group to contain militants from Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The emergence of ISIL on the southern front is something moderate commanders and their allies in western, Jordanian and Gulf intelligence agencies, all part of an anti-ISIL coalition fighting the group in Syria and Iraq since last year, have been trying to prevent.
Unlike parts of northern and eastern Syria, where ISIL has become the dominant force, in the south moderates have retained more influence.
Those claims to moderation have been undermined by the rise of Al Nusra, however, which has stuck firmly to its Al Qaeda affiliation, and by what appears to be a shift by some moderate and conservative factions towards ISIL.
Adding to the fracturing battlefront in the south, two days after the April 27 ambush, and with the fight against the Jihad Army still raging, clashes erupted in Quneitra between Al Nusra and the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigades, a major rebel faction affiliated to the MOC and separate from the Yarmouk Army, after the latter took control of a town called Sahm Al Golan, in the west of Deraa province, and overran a series of Nusra command posts.
Three Saudis fighting for Nusra were reported among the dead.
Harakat Al Muthana, a powerful hardline faction, then became embroiled in the fighting, manoeuvring to prevent Nusra from implementing an operation on May 3 to try and kill or capture the commander of the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigades, Mohammad “Abu Ali” Al Baridi, also known as Al Khal, .
ISIL allegations
Tensions have been simmering between Nusra and the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigades since December 15, when Nusra assassinated Mousab Ali Qarfan, also known as Mousab Zaytouneh, a top Brigades commander, and three other fighters from the group.
Nusra accused him of being an ISIL sleeper agent and said the Brigades had been infiltrated by ISIL as part of a creeping expansion into southern Syria.
The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigades has denied the claims and recently issued a statement criticising Nusra’s affiliation with Al Qaeda. But the group’s credibility as a moderate force was further damaged in March when a video showing its fighters and commander, Al Khal, singing a nashid, a religious song, praising ISIL was posted on the internet.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the controversy started by that footage, and said eight members of the Yarmouk Martyrs' Brigades were subsequently arrested in the town of Nawa and sentenced to six years in jail by the Islamic Justice Committee, a rebel court.
Revelations last month that ISIL had entered Yarmouk Camp, in southern Damascus, further fuelled speculation of links between the Yarmouk Martyrs' Brigade, which is present in the camp.
A series of overlapping conflicts are now under way in the south, involving Nusra, the Jihad Army, the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigades, the FSA and forces loyal to Mr Al Assad. In addition, the Syria conflict is a broader proxy war, involving the US, Gulf states, Russia and Iran. More than 200,000 people have been killed since 2011, according to the UN, with millions more fleeing their homes as refugees.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
How%20champions%20are%20made
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Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Company%20profile
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BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Barack Beach, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Woodditton, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Secret Trade, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mark Of Approval, Antonio Fresu, Mahmood Hussain.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tradesman, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
