Rebels unlikely to find success in Aleppo
In light of divisions among rebel factions, it appears the battle for Aleppo will be long and drawn out, unlike the rapid progress they made in capturing Idlib.
REYHANLI, Turkey — Rebel forces have scored gains in recent months in northern Syria, but the type of swift progression they made in Idlib province will be difficult to replicate in Aleppo, Syria’s economic heartland, where the rebels as well as forces loyal to the regime are heavily entrenched.
Jaish al-Fatah (Army of Conquest), which advanced in Idlib and has had several branches pop up around the country, including Qalamoun, has established an operating base dubbed Fatah Halab (Conquest of Aleppo) in Aleppo. On July 21, it had announced the launch of an attack against al-Foa and Kafr, two Alawite villages in Idlib still in the hands of the regime, in retaliation for an onslaught against Zabadani, an area close to the Lebanese border, by Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces.
The consolidation of rebel groups — namely, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jund al-Aqsa, Ahrar al-Sham, Liwa al-Haqq, Jaish al-Sunna, Ajnad al-Sham and Faylaq al-Sham — under the banner of Jaish al-Fatah in March, and their swift advance in Idlib have been attributed by experts to a détente and alignment of interests between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
According to a rebel in Reyhanli from Nur al-Din Zanki, other factors also played into the newfound coalition of Idlib factions. Speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, he said, “Jabhat al-Nusra became the biggest player there by getting rid of its major opponents, such as Harakat Hazm and the Syrian Revolutionary Front, which facilitated the unification of Islamist groups under one banner.”
