Army Gen. Reveals 5 Scenarios for Syrian Gov’t to Confront Terrorists in Idlib

“Some terrorists who have joined different groups reject any talks with the government, but there are militants who are in contacts with the government, provide it with intelligence and condemn the terrorist groups. They have also voiced preparedness to fight beside the Syrian army. We are also facing terrorists who have come from outside Syria. Therefore, we have several options and scenarios,” Major General Mohammad Abbas told FNA on Monday.

“The first scenario is intensified military attacks and regaining control over all regions occupied by the terrorists and crippling them; the second scenario is that Turkey closes its borders to the terrorists; the third scenario is that Turkey transfers the militant groups loyal to Ankara to Northeastern Syria to stand against the Syrian Kurdish fighters within the framework of the Euphrates Shield Operation,” he added.

Abbas explained that the fourth scenario entails the US gathering and transferring the terrorist commanders to other regions, similar to what was done with the White Helmets in Golan. A fifth scenario, he said, includes the death of all the terrorists who reject government amnesty.

“The last scenario comes closer to reality, in my view, as it includes military action accompanied by national reconciliation plans,” he said.

Relevant reports said on Sunday that terrorist groups in Northwestern Syria have put increasing efforts on forced recruitment of young men to send them to battlefields in Idlib, Hama, Lattakia and Aleppo provinces to counter the Syria Army’s imminent operation.

The Arabic-language website of Sputnik reported that commanders of the terrorist groups, including Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front), the National Liberation Front, al-Turkistani Islamic party and two more al-Qaeda-affiliated Ajnad al-Qafqaz and Horas al-Deen held a meeting in Idlib city on Friday to reinvigorate their defense capacities to counter the army’s upcoming operation.

It further said that the terrorist groups have increased forced recruitment of young men to send them to the battlefields in Idlib, Hama, Lattakia and Aleppo provinces.

The report added that ISIL terrorists have in the last few day deployed to Northern and Western Idlib, specially in regions held by Tahrir al-Sham and al-Turkistani and also to the towns of al-Dana, Sarmada, Darkoush and Jisr al-Shughour at Idlib’s borders with Turkey and Lattakia province.

Emir of Tahrir al-Sham Abu Mohammad al-Joulani, in a meeting with ISIL commanders on Saturday, insisted on boosting unity among the two terrorist groups to face the army’s advances.