Armed opposition groups in the Syrian province of Idlib have demonstrated unwillingness to separate themselves from the Nusra Front terrorist group (banned in Russia), United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2018) Armed opposition groups in the Syrian province of Idlib have demonstrated unwillingness to separate themselves from the Nusra Front terrorist group (banned in Russia), United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Friday.
"Since early August almost every single armed opposition group in Idlib has now come under the banner of what is called the National Liberation Front. This includes various groups operating under the same banner with Nusra in the past," de Mistura said at a UN Security Council meeting. "If this is confirmed, and we are looking into it, this can be taken as a sign of the unwillingness to separate from Nusra."
The rebel National Liberation Front includes several radical Islamist factions such as Ahrar al-Sham and Nour al Din al-Zinki Brigades, as well as other groups that have previously belonged to or formed alliances with the Nusra terror group.
De Mistura warned that all armed opposition groups in Idlib were preparing for a major battle, fortifying their positions, digging tunnels and detonating bridges.
He also noted that "the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is basically Al-Nusra - let's call them by name - has signaled the group's intention to fight" and has recently posed in pictures alongside weaponized drones.
The Nusra Front terror organization is the backbone of a terrorist alliance called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which groups five radical Islamist factions and is widely regarded as the dominant force on the ground in the province.
The Syrian government has pledged to drive the remaining terrorists out of Idlib and has begun taking steps toward full-scale military operations in the territory.
Russian officials have repeatedly warned that HTS terrorists are planning a false-flag chemical weapons attack in Idlib in a bid to provoke Western retaliation against the Syrian government.
