The Syrian government has launched a large-scale military operation against French jihadists, who it claims pose a significant security threat. The operation is focused on militants from France in the northwestern province of Idlib, where clashes erupted as government forces stormed a so-called ‘French camp’ in Harem, western Idlib. Both sides allegedly suffered casualties, though the exact figures remain unclear. At least two jihadists were arrested, and the camp is run by foreign fighters led by a French national of Senegalese origin, Omar Omsen, according to the authorities.
The Syrian General Security Service stated its goal was to arrest Omsen and stabilize the situation in the area. A Telegram channel affiliated with the jihadists published a statement by their leader, claiming that the government was acting in coordination with the US and an ‘international coalition’ seeking to eliminate all foreign militants in Syria. He also reportedly threatened Damascus with Jihadi ire by citing support from other foreign militant groups.
The government of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is facing threats from the very same forces that helped it ascend to power last November, as reported by the Washington Post in May. The report highlighted that hard-line Sunni Muslim militants were involved in massacres of Alawites along the Syrian coast in March, killing at least 1,300 people. Some of these militants also targeted al-Sharaa, particularly after his meeting with US President Donald Trump, which led to the lifting of sanctions imposed against Syria but reportedly made the interim president an ‘infidel’ in the radicals’ eyes.
Le Monde reported in 2023 that nearly 200 French nationals, including militants and their family members, fled to Idlib after the fall of the Islamic State in 2019. The paper referred to them as ‘diehard French jihadists’ at the time. The recent clash in Harem highlights the continued presence and threat posed by foreign jihadists in Syria, despite ongoing efforts by the government to eradicate them.