Syrian Jihadists Attack Syrian Army Posts, Kill 25 Soldiers in Revenge Attack

Army warns they won't stand by while rebels violate buffer zone

Syrian jihadist group Ansar al-Tawhid has carried out a series of attacks against Syrian Army posts over the weekend. At least 25 soldiers were reported killed, and an unknown number of others were wounded.

The group says that the attacks, against northern Hama Province, were meant as revenge for civilian deaths in previous Syrian shelling in the Idlib Province, where they are based. This faction is an offshoot of the Jund al-Aqsa, which split into several groups with different allegiances. The Ansaw al-Tawhid claim loyalty to al-Qaeda, but aren’t necessarily on good terms with the Syrian al-Qaeda faction.

The Syrian Army confirmed the attacks against them, saying a number of soldiers were killed, and that bad weather had put them at a disadvantage in the attacks. They showed several slain rebels, who Ansar al-Tawheed officials said were part of a “suicide squad.”

The Syrian Army warned that they will not continue to respect the “buffer zone” negotiated by Turkey and Russia if the rebels continue to violate it for the purpose of cross-border attacks.

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.