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Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog

فصائل السويداء بعد سقوط الأسد: مقابلة

في حين أنّ قوات الاسد فقدت سيطرتها على حلب وحماه أمام تقدم الفصائل العسكرية بقيادة "هيئة تحرير الشام"، واجهت هذه القوات انتفاضة في جنوب سوريا، مما ساهم في انهيار النظام. شاركت في هذه الانتفاضة عدة فصائل محلية وهي شكلت ما يسمى ب"غرفة العمليات المشتركة" التي فككت الاجهزة الأمنية والعسكرية للنظام في المحافظة بشكل نهائي، وتولت الملف الأمني في المحافظة. وتتسمى هذه الغرفة ب"ادارة العمليات العسكرية في السويداء"، مما قد يشير الى ارتباط شكلي ب"ادارة العمليات العسكرية" التي تقودها هيئة تحرير وهي أصبحت مسؤولة بشكل رسمي عن الأمن في معظم المناطق التي سيطرت عليها قوات المعارضة. ولكن "غرفة العمليات المشتركة" في السويداء هي مستقلة عن "ادارة العمليات العسكرية" التي تقودها الهيئة.

ومن أجل نقاش "غرفة العمليات المشتركة" ودورها في الأحداث الأخيرة بالسويداء، وكذلك مسألة دخول الجيش الإسرائيلي الى الأراضي السورية وراء الجولان المحتل، أقدم لكم مقابلة مع أشرف جمول من مرتبات "فزعة شباب الجبل" وغرفة العمليات المشتركة، علما أنّني أجريت مقابلة معه السنة الماضية عندما انطلقت المظاهرات الشعبية ضد النظام في السويداء.

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By أيمن جواد التميمي  |  Thu, December 19, 2024 1:25 PM  |  Permalink

Factions of al-Suwayda' After Assad's Downfall: Interview

As Assad's forces lost Aleppo and Hama to the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-led insurgents in north, they also faced an uprising in southern Syria that contributed to the regime's collapse. This included local factions in the predominantly Druze province of al-Suwayda', which formed a 'joint operations room' that brought about the final dismantlement of the regime's security and military apparatuses in the province and assumed primary responsibility for security. The 'joint operations room' also comes under the name of the 'military operations administration in al-Suwayda',' suggesting a nominal tie to the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-led 'military operations administration' that has assumed official military responsibility for security in most areas taken by the opposition from the regime.

To talk more about the 'joint operations room', its role in recent events in al-Suwayda' and also the question of whether there should be a confrontation with Israel amid its incursion into Syrian territory, I conducted an interview with Ashraf Jamul of the local faction Faz'at Shabab al-Jabal, whom I previously interviewed in 2023 when the protests against the regime broke out in the province. The interview is slightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Thu, December 19, 2024 11:46 AM  |  Permalink

الوضع في مدينة حلب: مقابلة مع أحد سكان المدينة

من المهم أن نتأكد من صحة معلوماتنا حول الوضع في مدينة حلب، وذلك من خلال اجراء مقابلات مع الناس في حلب ونشرها من دون التزييف. واليكم مقابلة اجريتها في تاريخ 2 ديسمبر مع موظف في جامعة حلب وهومن الباب أصلا.

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By أيمن جواد التميمي  |  Tue, December 3, 2024 7:41 PM  |  Permalink

The Situation Inside Aleppo City: Interview with a Resident (II)

Following on from my interview with a resident of Aleppo city about the insurgent takeover of the city, I present here an interview with another resident to discuss the same topic, since it is useful to corroborate and compare what sources inside the city can tell us about what is going on. Below is an interview conducted on 2 December with an individual who is originally from the Aleppo town of al-Bab but left for Aleppo city ten years ago when al-Bab fell to insurgent control, hoping to have a better future. He completed his high school and university degrees in Aleppo and recently did a master's degree in Latakia, and is an employee at Aleppo University.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Tue, December 3, 2024 7:03 PM  |  Permalink

الوضع داخل مدينة حلب: مقابلة مع أحد سكان المدينة

بعد السيطرة السريعة للفصائل المسلحة على مدينة حلب ورورد التقارير حول القصف السوري والروسي المشترك، أصبح من المهم أن نسمع من سكان المدينة عما يجري بالضبط وما هي وجهات نظرهم من الأحداث. في هذا السياق، أقدم لكم مقابلة أجريتها مع أحد سكان الأحياء الغربية في حلب وهو لم يخرج من المدينة خلال الحرب. بالطبع لا يمكن الكشف عن اسمه لأسباب أمنية.

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By أيمن جواد التميمي  |  Sun, December 1, 2024 11:40 AM  |  Permalink

The Situation Inside Aleppo City: Interview with a Resident

Following the rapid insurgent takeover of the city of Aleppo and the reports of joint bombardment by the Syrian and Russian air forces, it is extremely important that we hear from residents of the city about what exactly is going on and what their own perspectives are. Below is an interview conducted with a resident of the western side of Aleppo city who has been present throughout the entire civil war (i.e. since 2011). He naturally must remain anonymous for security reasons. Topics discussed include how the insurgents entered the city, how they have dealt with Aleppo's residents, and the concerns about airstrikes on the city.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Sun, December 1, 2024 11:12 AM  |  Permalink

Guest Post: On Aleppo and Syria's Future

As of the time of writing, the insurgency has not only taken control of Aleppo city but also now has control of the entirety of Idlib province and is pushing towards Hama city. Amid these rapid developments, it is important to give local perspectives on what is happening. The following guest post is by my friend 'Odoacer' who has contributed on more than one occasion to my site. He resides in the originally Druze village of Qalb Lawze in the Jabal al-Summaq area of north Idlib countryside. He discusses the insurgents' capture of Aleppo city and also reflects on the future of the Syrian government and the possibility of building a new Syria.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Sat, November 30, 2024 5:44 PM  |  Permalink

Messaging from the "Political Affairs Administration" of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's Salvation Government on Aleppo

In my previous interview with Azaz activist Abd al-Qadir Abu Yusuf, he highlighted how he believes that the Syrian opposition and the insurgent factions now seek to be taken more seriously on the international stage amid the offensive to capture Aleppo city. In this regard, political messaging and communications are crucial, and today the "Political Affairs Administration"- a department of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-controlled Salvation Government- has issued two noteworthy statements worth translation and overview.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Sat, November 30, 2024 5:37 PM  |  Permalink

The Battle for Aleppo City: Interview with an Opposition Activist

With the insurgents' advance into Aleppo city, there is a sense of joy among many opposition activists and supporters, especially those who had once been inside the city but have been unable to visit since the outbreak of the war and the Syrian government's seizure of the insurgent-held eastern neighbourhoods in 2016. The insurgent capture of the city now represents a chance for them to visit after many years of absence. One of these individuals is Abd al-Qadir Abu Yusuf, who works at the Azaz Media Office in the north Aleppo. Prior to the outbreak of the war in Syria, Abd al-Qadir was studying at the university of Aleppo. He also has relatives who have lived in the government-held areas of Aleppo city.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Fri, November 29, 2024 5:32 PM  |  Permalink

Guest Post: The Insurgent Offensive and Aleppo City

As of the time of writing, the insurgent offensive in northwest Syria has managed to enter western parts of Aleppo city. On the government side, some who have fled the city already expect the entire city to fall, although one should advise against retroactively projecting intention onto battlefield successes. It may be that the insurgents themselves are surprised by how much they have managed to take so quickly.

In the interest of conveying local perspectives as to what is happening, I present a take from a person who led an Iranian-backed formation (al-Ghalibun) and is based in Latakia. I do not necessarily endorse the perspective presented here, but I find it interesting in light of his previous insights into the dubious concepts of 'victory' on the side of the 'axis of resistance.' It is also worth preserving these local perspectives for historical purposes. It should also be noted that as of the time of writing, the insurgents have seized the town of Saraqeb in Idlib province- a target referenced in the post.

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By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  |  Fri, November 29, 2024 5:30 PM  |  Permalink

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