The Syrian Ministry of Interior published a statement on its official social media accounts, stating that the operation included directing the internal security forces to the camp, completely surrounding it, establishing monitoring points on its outskirts, and deploying teams to secure the entrances and exits.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior emphasized that the leadership of the internal security affirms that protecting civilians and enforcing the law are the two main priorities and will continue to firmly take all necessary legal and security measures to ensure the enforcement of the law.
The internal security chief in Idlib Governorate, Brigadier General Ghassan Bakir, mentioned in a statement the complete surrounding of the camp located in the Harim area of rural Idlib and the establishment of monitoring points on its outskirts after receiving several complaints, the latest being the kidnapping of a girl from her mother by a group led by Omar Diaby.
Bakir added that the internal security leadership sought to negotiate with the leader to surrender voluntarily to the competent authorities, but he refused and barricaded himself inside the camp, confirming that the security forces will continue to firmly take all necessary legal and security measures to ensure the enforcement of the law.
According to Arab media, citing sources, the security operation aims to assist Damascus in handing over French nationals wanted by the French authorities. Meanwhile, Syrian media reported that the internal security forces intend to carry out a security operation in a camp inhabited by “French migrants” after reports of illegal activities committed by the “Strangers Brigade” inside the camp.
It was reported that the security operation does not target foreign fighters but aims to recover a child accused of being kidnapped by Omar Omsen, with some of his group’s elements, noting that the mother of the kidnapped girl, who is also French, appealed to the security authorities for intervention.
According to local media, the security forces faced resistance from elements of the “Strangers Brigade” after orders were issued by Omsen to counter any attempt of incursion. It is noted that Diaby, classified by Washington as an “international terrorist,” was working in a restaurant in Nice in southeastern France before moving to Syria in 2013, where he led a faction consisting mainly of young Frenchmen, mostly from the Nice area.
