Syrian Government Launches Operation to Apprehend Wanted French Jihadist Fugitives 

Latest Developments

• Clashes Erupt Near Idlib: Syrian government forces surrounded a camp near Idlib on October 21, launching a large-scale operation to apprehend French jihadist fighters wanted by the French government. The group of foreign fighters in the camp is known as Firqatul Ghuraba and is led by Omar Omsen, also known as Omar Diaby. Omsen was designated by the United States in 2016 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. According to the son of one jihadist in the camp, Paris has demanded that two French nationals from the group, reportedly composed of 50 members, be handed over to their jurisdiction upon capture.
• Operation Launched After Alleged Kidnapping: Clashes broke out after one of the camp’s members allegedly kidnapped a girl and refused to release her. Syrian forces attempted to negotiate with the jihadist group, but Omsen reportedly issued a mobilization call to all foreign fighters in Syria, exacerbating the rapidly deteriorating situation. Gen. Ghassan Bakir, commander of the Internal Security Forces in Idlib province, said that the camp, located close to Syria’s border with Turkey, had been completely encircled as of October 21. 
• Allegations Against Omsen: Omsen has an outstanding international arrest warrant from France, where he is accused of being the biggest recruiter of French citizens to fight alongside jihadists in Syria. He moved to Idlib in 2013 with a group of French citizens from Nice — including recent converts to Islam and minors — to fight in the Syrian Civil War alongside the al-Nusra Front rebels. Al-Nusra was a Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate formed by current interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, later rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Even before HTS ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Omsen’s group was already at odds with Sharaa’s organization, accusing them of having abandoned “jihad.”

FDD Expert Response

“These French fighters have established a parallel policing system within their camps, holding trials and issuing sentences entirely outside the authority of the Syrian state. Since the fall of the Assad regime, terrorists aligned with Diaby have voiced frustration over the lack of implementation of Islamic Sharia law in Syria and have repeatedly criticized Sharaa. While this crackdown may reflect Sharaa’s broader effort to consolidate power and eliminate rogue elements, it could also serve as an attempt to appease the French government, which accused Diaby of facilitating the recruitment of nearly 80 percent of French nationals who joined jihadist organizations in Syria and Iraq.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

“France is no stranger to jihadists, as the litany of terrorist attacks inside its borders in recent years confirms. The effort to capture these fighters in Syria should not obfuscate the fact that they emerged out of the parallel society in France that Islamists have constructed.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

FDD Background and Analysis

“Kurdish-Led SDF Reportedly Reaches Agreement to Merge With Syrian Armed Forces,” FDD Flash Brief 

“SDF moves forward with integration into new Syrian security forces,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Meets With Putin in Moscow,” FDD Flash Brief

“Buying the Hatchet,” by Ahmad Sharawi