Al-Sharaa begins dismantling the foreign jihadist file in response to Western pressure

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General Security forces launched a large-scale operation on a camp housing foreign fighters in the city of Harem, in western Idlib. The operation resulted in several deaths and injuries, along with the arrest of French militants who had been fighting within extremist factions.

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During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, General Security units carried out a sweeping raid on a camp of foreign fighters in Harem, western Idlib. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the operation caused multiple casualties and led to the capture of French nationals fighting for radical groups.

This security campaign, targeting what is known as the “French Camp” — home to the Ghurabaa Battalion led by French-Senegalese jihadist Omar Omsen — marks the first direct field action against the presence of foreign jihadists in Syrian-held territories since the major political shifts that began in late 2024.

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According to human rights reports and informed sources, this move comes as part of President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s response to mounting Western — particularly French — pressure to repatriate citizens who joined extremist groups during the Syrian conflict. Al-Sharaa had previously pledged to eliminate French jihadist presence in Syria and hand over wanted individuals to Paris.

The operation, described by observers as “decisive and risky,” reflects a clear political strategy by Damascus to reshape its international image and distance itself from the heavy legacy of wartime alliances, especially with foreign fighters who were once a military asset but have since become a political and security liability.

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Witnesses and field sources reported that fierce clashes erupted as soon as the camp was stormed. Security forces used light and medium weapons, resulting in casualties on both sides. Unconfirmed reports suggested that Omar Omsen — the main target — may have been injured or escaped.

Security sources stated that the raid followed intelligence reports warning of internal threats within the camp and of attempts by some members to plan attacks on government sites or escape toward the Turkish border. They stressed that priority was given to protecting civilians — particularly women and children — and preventing the fighting from spreading to other areas in northern Idlib.

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Despite its partial success, the operation has raised growing security concerns. Analysts fear it may trigger violent reactions from other jihadist groups, including those that had previously fought alongside Al-Sharaa’s forces. Some worry that this move could ignite a wave of rebellion among hardline militants who might see it as a betrayal of wartime alliances.

Indeed, according to the Syrian Observatory, Uzbek militants have already expressed their support for the French jihadists in their confrontation with General Security forces.

As search operations continue around the camp, sources within the “French Battalion” claim that this is not merely an arrest campaign but a systematic attempt to dismantle the Ghurabaa Battalion entirely and hand its members over to the French authorities.

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In response, the group issued a statement accusing the Syrian government of “executing a foreign agenda,” asserting that the operations were being carried out in direct coordination with the United States and France as part of the international coalition against terrorism — a clear effort to build a counter-narrative justifying their resistance.

For President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, this move represents an extremely delicate domestic and international test. While he seeks to present himself as the leader of a “post-war Syria,” he must also distance his administration from its previous ties with radical factions that once served as tools of diplomatic leverage against Damascus. His earlier decision to integrate foreign jihadists into the Syrian army drew widespread criticism both at home and abroad.

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However, this current disengagement from foreign fighters may not come without cost. Groups that supported the regime’s survival during critical phases may view this crackdown as a betrayal of implicit understandings, increasing the likelihood of security chaos or even armed clashes among factions that were allies until recently.

Ultimately, the storming of the “French Camp” marks a turning point in the relationship between the Syrian regime and the international community, but it also confronts Damascus with serious internal challenges — chiefly, containing the fallout of this operation and preventing renewed instability in northern Syria, where conditions remain ripe for unrest and the sudden collapse of fragile wartime alliances.

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