ICYMI -- for the 1st time since 2011, #Idlib's Christian community gathered on Sunday at the Church of St. Anna in al-Yacoubiya, near Jisr al-Shughour, #Idlib to celebrate the Orthodox St. Anna's Day.
#HTS leader Jolani met with the Church's Bishop Luay al-Bisharat in July.
Since #Jolani's visit to al-Yacoubiya in July, rumors have swirled around #HTS's agenda for #Idlib's Christian minority.
There are reports that #HTS has communicated with Syrian Christians in #Germany, inviting residents/property owners to return & re-assume property ownership.
Until now, no discernible 'return' has been noted in al-Yacoubiya & nearby al-Jadida & al-Quniya -- but some say Sunday's celebration at St. Anna's was a "confidence building measure" (i.e. a test).
Bishop Bisharat has suggested more announcements may be forthcoming.
For reference, here's #HTS leader Jolani meeting with al-Yacoubiya's Christian notables, including Bishop Bisharat, who is seated closest to Jolani on the left row (light blue shirt).
NEW -- reports of a possible #Israel airstrikes hitting #Iran-linked targets in the western edge of #Aleppo International Airport as well as a section of the runway.
Here's video filmed showing #Aleppo International Airport in the distance -- showing multiple successive explosions.
Reports now coming in of possible airstrikes in #Latakia too.
*Highly* unusual to see #Aleppo International Airport targeted, or the Neirab Airbase next-door -- it speaks volumes about #Israel's perceived need to respond to #Iran's activities in #Syria.
Despite curfew, heavy gunfire & explosions heard in #Baghdad -- multiple security offices attacked. Green Zone on security alert & U.S. Embassy sirens sounding off.
In #Mosul, security forces say they foiled a major #ISIS attack.
The situation in #Baghdad is deteriorating fast -- mortars, rockets, RPGs & heavy machine guns all reportedly in use, including within/targeted at the Green Zone. Many casualties; grisly images emerging.
#Basra also in a very bad place -- heavy fighting too.
Wow -- #Zawahiri killed in a U.S. drone strike in the #Kabul area over the weekend -- the 1st strike since the #Taliban's takeover of #Afghanistan in August 2021.
BIG blow for #AlQaeda's central leadership, but huge questions about how he was located (or who sold him out).
In Nov 2020, I wrote about #AlQaeda's looming "succession crisis" -- as the group's most likely No.2 (Sayf al-Adel) is based in #Iran, a location that for most AQ affiliates, has resulted in deep distrust.
For years, #AlQaeda has been under a self-reinforcing process of decentralization (& localization) -- whereby the central leadership remained a key guide, but an increasingly irrelevant source of strategic command.
- This is an excellent in-depth look at #HTS by @azelin, a group that's changed markedly over the past 5-7yrs & represents an entirely different challenge than its #AlQaeda-aligned predecessor.
@azelin I've been studying #HTS (& JFS & Nusra before it) closely for 11yrs & as @azelin makes clear, it's existed in its current form for longer than its previous, #AlQaeda-aligned Nusra days.
That evolution dates back to at least early-2015, when I wrote this:
@azelin For an #AlQaeda affiliate born out of #ISIS to become a de facto governing entity that maintains ties to nation states & cooperates with INGOs is no insignificant thing.
Within its NW zone, #HTS has arguably been the most successful anti-#ISIS & AQ actor in #Syria -- but...