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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Missile Kills 11 Islamists, 5 others in Syria's Idlib

2016-01-26

[AnNahar] At least 11 Islamist fighters and five non-combatants were killed as a ballistic missile struck a building in northwest Syria during a meeting between rebel groups, a monitor said Monday.

How odd. Who has ballistic missiles in that part of the world?

"Eleven fighters from (Al-Qaeda affiliate) Al-Nusra Front and other Islamist groups were killed on Sunday, along with five civilians, when a ballistic missile hit a cop shoppe being used as a court in Salqin" in Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britannia-based monitoring group said it was unclear if the missile was fired by Russian or Syrian forces.

Ask and ye shall be answered. :-)

The monitor said the toll could rise further because a number of people had been seriously maimed in the strike.

How lovely! More, please.

The missile struck during a reconciliation meeting between members of Al-Nusra and the conservative Islamist murderous Moslem group Ahrar al-Sham
...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014...
, who had exchanged fire in the town earlier the same day.

So much for that hudna.

The two groups are leading members of the Army of Conquest alliance, a powerful coalition that took control of Idlib province last year.

Under the circumstances, houldn't alliance be in scare quotes?

Staunch regime ally Russia began an aerial campaign in Syria last September after a string of government losses, including in Idlib, and has since helped reverse some opposition momentum.

Moscow says its strikes target the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(IS) jihadist group and other "terrorists," but activists and opposition forces accuse it of targeting other rebels and often killing civilians.

Earlier in January, Russian raids in Idlib province, which borders ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
, killed at least 81 people, including 23 Al-Nusra fighters but also 52 civilians and prisoners.

...a.k.a. human shields, which makes their deaths Al Nusra's fault, in accordance with international law.

According to the Observatory, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in Russian strikes since they were launched on September 30.

The raids have also killed nearly 900 IS fighters, and more than 1,100 Death Eaters from other opposition groups, including Al-Nusra.

A very good thing, indeed, though their descent into Hell will make repentence an interesting activity for all involved.

Moscow has dismissed claims of civilians deaths in its operations as "absurd".

Posted by:trailing wife

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