Russia targets Daesh’s enemies in Syria

DAMASCUS

Russian attacks on the opposition group Jaysh Al-Islam show that Russia’s priority in Syria is not Daesh.

On the contrary, Russian attacks have focused on anti-Daesh opposition groups in Syria. Russia continues to launch airstrikes on opposition groups and civilians living in opposition-held areas, under the pretext of “counter-terrorism.”

Since Sept. 30, when Russia began carrying out airstrikes in war-torn Syria, Turkey and a number of Western countries have warned Russia to “target Daesh, not the opposition.”

The Kremlin, for its part, claimed the strikes had been aimed at Daesh. Russian President Vladimir Putin even alleged to providing air support for the Free Syrian Army in its fight against Daesh.

Contrary to Russia’s claims, a number of Syrian groups, including northern Aleppo-based al-Sham Front and several Turkmen troops were among the opposition groups targeted by Russia.

The most recent Russian target was Jaysh al-Islam, Syria’s largest opposition group, based in Damascus.

On Dec. 25, Zahran Alloush, a senior commander of the group, was killed in a Russian airstrike. Local sources said the sound of a warplane was not heard prior to the attack and it is possible the airstrike was launched from a high altitude.

Russia’s Sputnik International media outlet said the attack was carried out by Russian warplanes, but neither the Kremlin nor the Assad regime has confirmed the report.

Jaysh al-Islam, which means the Army of Islam, is a Damascus-based coalition formed in 2013 by Zahran Alloush who had formerly established Liwa al-Islam, the primary base of which was the Damascus neighborhood of Eastern Ghouta.

In 2013, Liwa al-Islam teamed up with 49 other small factions to form Jaysh al-Islam. The group was the most dominant and best-equipped military merger around Damascus with nearly 9,000 fighters.

Having close relationships with Saudi Arabia, Jaysh al-Islam declared that they want to establish an Islamic state in Syria.

The group also refused to join the Syrian National Council in 2013 and expressed its objection to plans for an international peace conference on the Syrian conflict in Geneva.

On the other hand, the group joined a conference that brought more than 100 opposition figures together in the Saudi capital Riyadh in December and signed the meeting’s final declaration.

Two days after Zahran Alloush was killed, the group’s spokesman announced that they were open to a political solution. At the same time, the group has been criticized for restraining the operations of other opposition groups in Damascus, Eastern Ghouta and Douma.

Jaysh al-Islam has been fighting against Daesh and the Assad regime in Damascus, Douma, Eastern Ghouta and in the rural Qalamoun district since the beginning of 2015.