Syrian Army Kills 17 Islamist Rebels in Booby-Trap Attack

Planted Explosives At Site of Rebel Meeting in South

Syrian Army forces carried out a booby trap attack against southern Islamist rebels over the weekend, killing at least 17, including some top figures in the Darra Province-based Islamic Muthana Movement.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the attack was carried out in Kfar Shams village, where troops planted a series of explosives in a cluster of farm buildings where the rebels were known to regularly gather, detonating them when the rebels arrived.

Syrian state media reported the killings without the detail of a booby trap, but claimed to have “demolished” two different rebel “dens” in the town. Other opposition figures confirmed the incident as described by the observatory.

The Islamic Muthana Movement has sought to establish a significant territory in Daraa Province, working with al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham in fights along the Syria-Jordan border, and later also allying with Ansar Beit al-Maqdis and the Free Syrian Army.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.