Fighter groups in Syria on Saturday mourned the death of a powerful commander killed the previous day in an airstrike near Damascus — a high-profile assassination that may shift the balance of power in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.
Zahran Allouch, the head of the Army of Islam group, was killed in an airstrike that targeted the group’s headquarters during a meeting on Friday. He was instantly killed along with other commanders from the Ahrar Al-Sham and the Faylaq Al-Rahman groups.
His assassination — a month before peace talks are scheduled to begin between the Syrian government and opposition rebel groups — is a blow to insurgents fighting to topple Bashar Assad and a boost to government forces who have been bolstered by the Russian military intervention in Syria in the past few months.
Syrian government forces have been on the offensive in several parts of the country since Russia began its military campaign in late September to shore up Assad’s forces.
The Army of Islam took part earlier this month in an opposition meeting to agree on an opposition delegation that would negotiate with Assad’s government representatives in peace talks planned for late January in Geneva. The Syrian government describes the group as “terrorists” and has said it will not negotiate with such factions.
The Syrian Army claimed responsibility for the airstrike that killed Allouch, although many among the opposition blamed Russia.
Source: Arab News