#HT Rally Raid

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Adrien van Beveren gana la Etapa 6 del Transanatolia Rally

Su segundo triunfo de etapa en el Transanatolia Rally logró Adrien van Beveren, en lo que es su regreso a las pistas después de un fuerte accidente con varias fracturas en el Dakar 2020. van Beveren ha demostrado estar a ritmo, manteniéndose en la lucha con el líder de la general, Xavier de Soultrait, que debiera llevarse la victoria mañana dada su ventaja de 10 minutos en la clasificación general sobre su compatriota van Beveren. 

Hoy no fue el mejor día para de Soultrait, que sufrió una pequeña caída y cedió varios minutos de su ventaja en la clasificación. El francés, que está estrenando sociedad con Husqvarna después de cuatro años con Yamaha, terminó en la cuarta posición detrás de van Beveren, Alessandro Botturi y Jacopo Cerutti. 

Cerutti se apoderó del primer tramo cronometrado del día, de 101 kilómetros, por 11 segundos sobre van Beveren. de Soultrait anotaba el tercer mejor registro a 33 segundos. El segundo tramo del día, de 40 kilómetros, quedaba para Botturi, con 2 segundos sobre Cerutti, 28 sobre de Soultrait y 32 sobre van Beveren. Finalmente, las cosas se definirían en el tramo final de 180 kilómetros, donde van Beveren se quedaría con la victoria por 2 minutos y 24 segundos sobre Botturi, 3:31 sobre Cerutti y 5:22 sobre de Soultrait, con los retrasos antes comentados.

Mañana el rally se definirá en la séptima etapa entre Abant y Sile.

Clasificación General no oficial (6 de 7 etapas)

1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 17:35:36

2. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) 17:43:34

3. Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna) 17:54:41

4. Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) 18:00:49

5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 19:01:58

Imagen: Adrien van Beveren en Instagram

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Pro-Turkish gangs continue to commit illegal actions against the local population living in northern Syria.

So, members of the PBF once again, hiding behind the fight against the Kurdish self-defense units, raided the city market of Belmagar, where, under the pretext of detaining accomplices of the Kurdish self-defense units, they arrested 15 local merchants who refused to give part of the profits to the militants. In addition, it is reported that in the city of Gazzawiya, PBF militants are demanding the payment of a monthly security tax from the local population. Against this background, the rally activity of the civilian population, tired of the endless outrages of gangs, continues to grow. In the cities of Belmagar and Gazzawiya, protest actions were held by Syrian citizens, totaling about 200 people, demanding the release of the detainees and stopping further illegal actions by members of the PBF. The HTS units that arrived at the scene dispersed the protesters, using forceful methods, provoking brawls with local residents. As a result, 3 militants and 6 protesters were injured.

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Powerful Islamist Group Intensifies Crackdown on Jihadists in Syria's Idlib

A powerful Islamist militant group in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has launched a military campaign against rival jihadist groups, local news reports and rights groups said Sunday.   Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, on Sunday began targeting villages in the western part of Idlib where jihadists have significant presence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.   The Syrian Observatory, which monitors war developments in the country, said HTS fighters raided the village of Arab Saeed in Idlib, arresting several jihadist militants, including a leader with the Hurras al-Din group.   Hurras al-Din is one of several jihadist factions that have been operating in northwestern Syria. The group is al-Qaida’s main affiliate in the war-torn country.   Before formally severing ties with the global jihadist group in 2016, HTS was regarded as the Syrian branch of al-Qaida. At the time, it was known as the al-Nusra Front.   The crackdown comes nearly two weeks after several jihadist groups, including Hurras al-Din, announced the formation of a joint operations room to coordinate efforts in the fight against Syrian government troops and allied forces.      A local administration in Idlib backed by the HTS issued a statement Sunday, saying no armed groups are allowed to operate in the city of Idlib, except for those affiliated with the HTS.   Neutralizing extremists   The Syrian Observatory said the fighting Sunday between HTS and Hurras al-Din forced the latter to agree to a cease-fire that required the jihadist group to evacuate its headquarters and withdraw from certain parts of Idlib.      Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, charges that the ongoing crackdown by HTS against other extremist groups in the restive province has been approved by the Turkish military. 

FILE - Rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group are seen near buses, outside the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Idlib province, Syria, July 18, 2018.

“As part of this campaign, the Turkish government is trying to neutralize groups that are more radical than HTS,” he told VOA. “In one way or another, the HTS coordinates its efforts with the Turkish forces.”   Turkey rejects allegations that HTS is coordinating its recent efforts with Turkey-backed rebels.   Turkey, however, maintains a significant military presence in Idlib and other parts of northwestern Syria, while supporting Syrian rebel groups present there.   In March, Turkey and Russia brokered a cease-fire deal in Idlib aimed at bringing an end to a Syrian government offensive that had begun last year to recapture Idlib.   The two countries reached the agreement after several previous unsuccessful deals over Idlib, which is currently home to more than 2 million people.   According to all those agreements, Turkey was required to remove all extremist groups from the province, including those allied with the al-Qaida.   In 2018, Turkey officially designated the HTS as a terrorist organization. The designation came a few days before one of the agreements between Turkey and Russia over Idlib. According to that agreement too, the HTS was among the radical groups to be removed from Idlib by Turkey.   M4 significance   The current truce between Russian-backed Syrian troops and Turkish-backed rebels in Idlib remains largely holding as Russia and Turkey have been conducting joint patrols in the Syrian province.   Jihadist groups active in Idlib have consistently rejected cease-fires in the province, including the joint Russian-Turkish patrols on parts of the strategic M4 Highway that connects the two Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Latakia and goes through Idlib.   Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory said Turkey has been trying to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of fully implementing its agreement with Russia, and therefore it has decided to unofficially support HTS efforts to weaken the jihadists in Idlib.

FILE - Syrian demonstrators rally in the town of Binnish in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, May 1, 2020, to condemn a reported attack by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group on a protest the previous day.

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a Syria researcher at Swansea University in the U.K., says he doesn’t believe the HTS crackdown came because of Turkish orders.   However, he told VOA, “the end result is that this [campaign] allows the Turkey-Russia patrols to proceed and is an end to the limited leeway HTS previously granted its jihadist rivals.”   The Islamist group seeks to subdue those jihadist rivals who attempt to challenge its monopoly on power in Idlib, al-Tamimi said.   “What HTS once saw as a nuisance it could keep under control now became more of a threat in its eyes requiring to be properly subdued, though not necessarily eliminated,” he added.   And while the HTS may use rhetoric against the Russian-Turkish agreement over Idlib, in practice it abides by it, al-Tamimi said.   Political benefit   Some experts believe the HTS campaign to target extremists is a bid by the militant group to be included in any political settlement over Idlib and Syria as a whole.      “HTS has been trying to signal – to Turkey, most immediately, but by implication to the wider international community – for some time that it can be an acceptable long-term actor in Syria, and attacking an avowed al-Qaida group like Hurras al-Din is certainly a way to do that,” Kyle Orton, a Syria researcher based in London, told VOA.   The timing of this campaign, however, seems to be sending mixed signals.   “HTS could have wiped out Hurras al-Din at any time and chose only to move when there was political benefit, or HTS is not in fact capable of eliminating Hurras al-Din, so even on cold realist terms HTS is useless in handling the issue that most external actors care about, namely transnational terrorists,” Orton concluded.  

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Anastasiya Nifontova (RUS) of HT Husqvarna Rally Raid races during stage 5 of Rally Dakar 2017 from Tupiza to Oruro, Bolivia on January 6, 2017

📷 Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool

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Xavier de Soultrait gana el Transanatolia Rally en su primera carrera con Husqvarna

El piloto francés Xavier de Soultrait inauguró su sociedad con Husvarna de la mejor manera al quedarse con el triunfo general en el Transanatolia Rally, uno de los primeros eventos de rally cross country en disputarse después de la situación sanitaria con el Covid-19. de Soultrait se queda con el triunfo con una confortable ventaja de 12 minutos sobre Adrien van Beveren, su ex-compañero de equipo en Yamaha. Jacopo Cerutti completó el podio de esta carrera disputada en Turquía.

de Soultrait dominó el Transanatolia Rally ganando 5 de las 7 etapas, incluyendo esta última especial de solo 26 kilómetros para cerrar un largo rally que recorrió Turquía de norte a sur y de regreso. En la especial de hoy, de Soultrait se llevó el triunfo con una ventaja de 6 segundos sobre Cerutti y 1 minuto y 5 segundos sobre van Beveren. Con tan poco por recorrer, el podio ya estaba más que definido con las distancias observadas hasta ayer. 

En esta carrera, tanto de Soultrait como van Beveren lograron sumar valiosos kilómetros en competencia para dos pilotos que conforman la lista de aquellos que luchan por el Top 10 en el Dakar. Ambos no habían estado en actividad después de sufrir fuertes accidentes en el Dakar 2020, que les causaron el abandono. Los dos franceses mostraron buen ritmo en esta competencia, en la que puede haberse notado la elección de la motocicleta en terrenos bastante desafiantes y con etapas largas, ya que de Soultrait optó por una de Cross Country, en tanto que van Beveren corrió con una de enduro adaptada a raid. Para de Soultrait, este triunfo también significa un gran inicio de su trabajo con el HT Rally Raid, equipo asociado a Husqvarna.

Resultados Finales No Oficiales

1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 20:28:57

2. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) 20:41:11

3. Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna) 20:54:50

4. Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) 21:01:26

5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 22:04:58

6. Paolo Lucci (Husqvarna) 22:54:01

7. Camille Chapeliere (KTM) 24:45:27

8. Ejder Eristi (KTM) 26:56:07

Imagen: Xavier de Soultrait en Facebook

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Nuevo triunfo de Xavier de Soultrait en la quinta etapa del Transanatolia Rally

Imparable. Xavier de Soultrait anotó su cuarta victoria de etapa en cinco días en lo que es su debut como piloto de Husqvarna, al ganar el tramo Karadag - Haymana. Jacopo Cerutti fue segundo y Adrien van Beveren fue tercero, aunque se mantiene en la segunda plaza de la clasificación general.

de Soultrait partió el día con el pie derecho ganando el primer tramo en  Obruk Platosu (71 kilómetros), con una ventaja de 25 segundos sobre Cerutti y 1 minuto y 20 segundos sobre van Beveren. Pero las cosas se pondrían mejores para de Soultrait en el segundo tramo cronometrado del día, el más largo,  Tuz Golu, con 170 kilómetros contra el reloj: Allí, el piloto del HT Rally Raid ganó el especial por 5 minutos y 45 segundos sobre van Beveren y 5:49 sobre Cerutti. 

Con dichos registros, la ventaja ahora es bastante amplia en la general a favor del recién integrado a Husqvarna por sobre van Beveren, su ex-compañero en Yamaha: de Soultrait lidera por 16 minutos sobre su compatriota y por 29 sobre Cerutti.

Quedan dos días de acción en el Transanatolia Rally: Mañana habrá una etapa larga programada entre Haymana y Abant.

Clasificación General No Oficial (5 de 7 etapas)

1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 14:57:59

2. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) 15:14:47

3. Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna) 15:26:35

4. Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) 15:31:40

5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 16:25:35

Imagen: Xavier de Soultrait en Facebook

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Xavier de Soultrait gana la Etapa 4 del Transanatolia Rally y mantiene ventaja al frente

Por tercera vez en cuatro etapas, Xavier de Soultrait fue el ganador de la especial cronometrada del Transanatolia Rally en Turquía. Eso si, esta vez los márgenes estuvieron al límite, ya que ganó el día por solo 6 segundos sobre Adrien van Beveren. Alessandro Botturi terminó tercero en la especial, a 50 segundos. Esta siendo un excelente debut para de Soultrait junto a Husqvarna.

van Beveren partió el día ganando la breve especial en  Karadag, de 13 kilómetros, por 11 segundos sobre de Soultrait y 17 sobre Botturi. El plato fuerte del día era la especial Bolkar de 198 kilómetros, en la que de Soultrait fue quien se impuso, después de más de 3 horas de carrera, por apenas 17 segundos sobre van Beveren y 45 sobre Botturi para conformar los resultados finales del día. Jacopo Cerutti y Maurizio Gerini completaron el Top 5 de la especial N°4.

Con las diferencias ajustadas, no pasó tanto en la clasificación general, donde Xavier de Soultrait sigue con una buena ventaja adelante: 9 minutos y 49 segundos sobre van Beveren y 24 minutos sobre Botturi. 

Clasificación General - No oficial (4 de 7 etapas)

1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 15:39:00

2. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) 15:48:49

3. Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) 16:03:09

4. Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna) 16:04:01

5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 17:12:07

Imagen: Xavier de Soultrait en Facebook

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Xavier de Soultrait gana la Etapa 3 del Transanatolia Rally y se escapa al frente

Una sólida tercera etapa tuvo Xavier de Soultrait en el Transanatolia Rally, ganando el día por casi 6 minutos y 30 segundos. El francés reciente incorporación del equipo HT Rally de Husqvarna, aprovechó al máximo su segunda posición de salida detrás de Adrien Van Beveren, para extender su ventaja en la clasificación general a 9 minutos y 35 segundos sobre el piloto de Yamaha. Jacopo Cerutti ocupa el tercer puesto en la clasificación pero ya a más de 19 minutos de distancia con de Soultrait.

Xavier de Soultrait partió el día con el pie derecho ganando el primer tramo especial del día,  Tuz Golu de 169 kilómetros, con una ventaja de 4 minutos y 16 segundos sobre Adrien van Beveren que estaba abriendo ruta después de 2 horas de carrera. Alessandro Botturi terminaba tercero a 5 minutos y 24 segundos. En el segundo tramo del día, la tendencia se confirmaría con de Soultrait ganando el tramo Obruk Platosu  de 68 kilómetros por 7 segundos sobre Jacopo Cerutti y 2 minutos y 11 segundos sobre van Beveren. Con estos resultados, de Soultrait solo expande su ventaja en la general. 

La etapa de mañana, la cuarta del Transanatolia Rally, será un loop en Karadag.

Clasificación General - 3 de 7 etapas (no oficial)

1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 8:55:14

2. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) 9:04:49

3. Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna) 9:14:55

4. Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) 9:17:40

5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 9:47:21

Imagen: Xavier de Soultrait en Facebook

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Xavier de Soultrait gana la primera etapa del Transanatolia Rally

En su primera carrera con Husqvarna, representando los colores del HT Rally, Xavier de Soultrait se estrenó con victoria de etapa al quedarse con la primera especial del Transanatolia Rally en Turquía. El piloto francés logró un tiempo de 2 horas y 29 minutos en los 135 kilómetros de especial cronometrada entre Estambul y Abant. Con su registro, superó a Adrien Van Beveren por 4 minutos y 9 segundos y a Alesandro Botturi por 5 minutos y 4 segundos.

Completando el Top 5 se encontraron Jacopo Cerutti y Maurizio Gerini, en tanto que Paolo Lucci y Camille Chapeliere fueron 6° y 7°.

La etapa se disputó en tres tramos cronometrados  Kartepe (50 km) ganado por de Soultrait con 21 segundos de ventaja sobre Gerini, Kaporman de 71 km, donde de Soultrait volvio a imponerse con 2 minutos y 21 segundos de ventaja sobre van Beveren y Abant (23 km) donde el francés dominó por sobre Botturi con una ventaja de 12 segundos. La consistencia que tuvo en las tres especiales, le permitió quedarse con esta primera victoria de etapa.

La etapa de mañana llevará a los pilotos desde Abant a Haymana en Turquía.

Resultados Día 1

1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 2:29:50

2. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 2:34:00

3. Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha) 2:34:55

4. Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna) 2:37:31

5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 2:37:46

Imagen: Xavier de Soultrait en Facebook

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Van Beveren, Botturi y de Soultrait entre los favoritos del Transanatolia Rally

Mañana comienza el Transanatolia Rally en Turquía y varios nombres reconocidos en el Cross Country aprovecharán este evento para soltar las muñecas después de un largo período de inactividad por el Covid-19. Adrien Van Beveren confirmó su participación con una Yamaha 450F, sumándose así en los favoritos a Xavier de Soultrait y Alessandro Botturi en esta prueba con ruta diseñada por el experimentado Jordi Aracarons. de Soultrait estrenará su sociedad con Husqvarna, pilotando una Husqvarna FE450. Botturi irá con una Yamaha WR450.

Otros candidatos del Transanatolia serán Paolo Lucci, que tendrá el honor de abrir ruta, Maurizio Gerini y Jaocpo Cerutti todos con Husqvarna. Destaca también Camille Chapeliere defendiendo los colores de KTM y Red Bull. Este piloto francés se ha destacado en el Motocross y es un ex-campeón de Le Touquet. 25 motos saldrán a la ruta mañana.

También correrán 37 autos conformados principalmente por parejas locales.

 La primera etapa corresponde a una salida de Estambul para terminar en Bolu/Abant. La carrera culminará el 22 de agosto en Sile, después de llegar al sur de Turquía en Karadag y volver casi hasta Estambul. 

Orden de salida para la 1° Etapa

8:00 Paolo Lucci (Husqvarna)

8:01 Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna)

8:02 Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha)

8:03 Jacopo Cerutti (Husqvarna)

8:04 Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha)

8:05  Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna)

Imagen: Adrien Van Beveren en Facebook

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Xavier de Soultrait comenzará a correr en el equipo HT Rally con una Husqvarna 

Otro movimiento en la grilla del Rally Cross Country se ha anunciado hoy, con la oficialización de la partida del francés Xavier de Soultrait de la estructura oficial de Yamaha y su incorporación a HT Rally para defender los colores de Husqvarna. 

de Soultrait tendrá la oportunidad de demostrar que es uno de los mejores pilotos de la grilla del Mundial FIM y del Dakar ahora con una nueva máquina. El francés viene de abandonar de forma frustrante el Dakar 2020 apenas en la cuarta etapa. Su mejor resultado en la carrera más importante del año del Rally Cross Country fue un 7° puesto en 2019. Registra 7 participaciones consecutivas desde 2014. 

La moto de Xavier de Soultrait recibirá apoyo por parte de la escudería oficial Rockstar Husqvarna dirigida por Pela Renet y que integran Pablo Quintanilla y Luciano Benavides.

“¡Un nuevo capítulo con Husqvarna Motorcycles! ¡Estoy muy feliz de comenzar la aventura con esta increíble moto austriaca! Gracias a Pela, HT Rally, Dafy y Viltais. ¡Pronto más sobre las carreras, el equipo, el objetivo y los socios!” comentó Xavier en sus redes sociales. 

Imagen: Facebook Xavier de Soultrait

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Multi-campeón de Enduro y de los Six Days, David Knight, comenzará su carrera en el Cross Country

David Knight, piloto de la Isla de Man con un completísimo currículum en el Enduro, ha presentado su proyecto privado para convertirse en piloto de Rally Cross Country.  Knight, que tiene tres títulos Mundiales de Enduro en la categoría E3 (2005, 2006, 2010) además de una victoria general en los International Six Days de Enduro (ISDE) y del Mundial de Super Enduro hará su primera incursión seria en el Rally con 42 años. 

Knight por varios años había intentado dar este salto, pero no había logrado completarlo por falta de alineación con los partners y las máquina para hacerlo en el alto nivel. Ahora, a través de sus sponsors privados y el apoyo del equipo HT Rally Raid, buscará correr competencias del Mundial de Cross Country FIM e incluso el Dakar 2021 con una Husqvarna FR 450 Rally.

Knight recibió una  Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) por parte de la Reina Isabel en Junio de 2011.

Fuente e imágenes: Facebook David Knight

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La FIM realiza reunión de seguridad junto a ASO y las marcas de motos

La máxima autoridad del motociclismo mundial, la Federación Internacional de Motociclismo (FIM) realizó una reunión a través de plataformas digitales con los principales actores del rally cross country para definir estrategias de seguridad y evaluar los logros de las mejoras impulsadas para el último Dakar 2021.

En la reunión participaron representantes de KTM (Jordi Viladoms), Husqvarna (Pela Renet), Honda HRC (Ruben Faria y Helder Rodrigues), Sherco (David Casteu), Hero (Wolfgang Fischer), Yamaha y HT Rally Raid además de representantes de FIM y ASO (David Castera y Thierry Viardot).

En la llamada se mencionaron los principales puntos de seguridad que FIM tratará en carreras del Mundial de Cross Country FIM 2021 y el Dakar 2022:

Neumáticos: Se permitirá solo un set por día para carreras del Mundial, restando la de etapa maratón.

Airbag: Se evaluó positivamente la inclusión de chaquetas con airbag y se continuará desarrollando esto para evitar lesiones en accidentes.

Roadbook: Se apostará por volver a los signos clásicos de los roadbooks especialmente para señalizar peligros.

Alertas sonoras: Fueron evaluadas positivamente para los peligro 2 y 3. Se aumentará el radio de funcionamiento de 200 a 300 metros para facilitar frenado.

Capacidad del tanque: Se mantendrá en 35 litros para 250 kilómetros, aunque el organizador de una carrera de dunas podría disminuir esto a 220 kilómetros previa aprobación.

Reabastecimiento de combustible: Aumentará de 15 a 20 minutos, pero se seguirá sin permitir trabajos en la moto.

Límite de velocidad: Se impondrá un límite de 150 kilómetros por hora para 2023.

Mejora de estándares: Se encuentra en fase una mejora de homologación de cascos a finales de 2021. Los estándares actuales serán válidos hasta 2023.

“Me gustaría agradecer a todos los participantes por esta fructífera reunión. Aunque la temporada 2020 se acortó en las rutas debido a la pandemia, aún pudimos seguir trabajando en las regulaciones, equipos y soluciones destinadas a reducir el número y la gravedad de los accidentes en el rally. Estamos ansiosos por probar los ajustes al comienzo de esta emocionante temporada, ya que todos los involucrados están ansiosos por volver a la competencia " concluyó el presidente de la FIM, Jorge Viegas.

Imagen: Honda HRC

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Powerful Islamist Group Intensifies Crackdown on Jihadists in Syria's Idlib

A powerful Islamist militant group in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has launched a military campaign against rival jihadist groups, local news reports and rights groups said Sunday.   Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, on Sunday began targeting villages in the western part of Idlib where jihadists have significant presence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.   The Syrian Observatory, which monitors war developments in the country, said HTS fighters raided the village of Arab Saeed in Idlib, arresting several jihadist militants, including a leader with the Hurras al-Din group.   Hurras al-Din is one of several jihadist factions that have been operating in northwestern Syria. The group is al-Qaida’s main affiliate in the war-torn country.   Before formally severing ties with the global jihadist group in 2016, HTS was regarded as the Syrian branch of al-Qaida. At the time, it was known as the al-Nusra Front.   The crackdown comes nearly two weeks after several jihadist groups, including Hurras al-Din, announced the formation of a joint operations room to coordinate efforts in the fight against Syrian government troops and allied forces.      A local administration in Idlib backed by the HTS issued a statement Sunday, saying no armed groups are allowed to operate in the city of Idlib, except for those affiliated with the HTS.   Neutralizing extremists   The Syrian Observatory said the fighting Sunday between HTS and Hurras al-Din forced the latter to agree to a cease-fire that required the jihadist group to evacuate its headquarters and withdraw from certain parts of Idlib.      Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, charges that the ongoing crackdown by HTS against other extremist groups in the restive province has been approved by the Turkish military. 

FILE - Rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group are seen near buses, outside the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Idlib province, Syria, July 18, 2018.

“As part of this campaign, the Turkish government is trying to neutralize groups that are more radical than HTS,” he told VOA. “In one way or another, the HTS coordinates its efforts with the Turkish forces.”   Turkey rejects allegations that HTS is coordinating its recent efforts with Turkey-backed rebels.   Turkey, however, maintains a significant military presence in Idlib and other parts of northwestern Syria, while supporting Syrian rebel groups present there.   In March, Turkey and Russia brokered a cease-fire deal in Idlib aimed at bringing an end to a Syrian government offensive that had begun last year to recapture Idlib.   The two countries reached the agreement after several previous unsuccessful deals over Idlib, which is currently home to more than 2 million people.   According to all those agreements, Turkey was required to remove all extremist groups from the province, including those allied with the al-Qaida.   In 2018, Turkey officially designated the HTS as a terrorist organization. The designation came a few days before one of the agreements between Turkey and Russia over Idlib. According to that agreement too, the HTS was among the radical groups to be removed from Idlib by Turkey.   M4 significance   The current truce between Russian-backed Syrian troops and Turkish-backed rebels in Idlib remains largely holding as Russia and Turkey have been conducting joint patrols in the Syrian province.   Jihadist groups active in Idlib have consistently rejected cease-fires in the province, including the joint Russian-Turkish patrols on parts of the strategic M4 Highway that connects the two Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Latakia and goes through Idlib.   Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory said Turkey has been trying to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of fully implementing its agreement with Russia, and therefore it has decided to unofficially support HTS efforts to weaken the jihadists in Idlib.

FILE - Syrian demonstrators rally in the town of Binnish in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, May 1, 2020, to condemn a reported attack by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group on a protest the previous day.

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a Syria researcher at Swansea University in the U.K., says he doesn’t believe the HTS crackdown came because of Turkish orders.   However, he told VOA, “the end result is that this [campaign] allows the Turkey-Russia patrols to proceed and is an end to the limited leeway HTS previously granted its jihadist rivals.”   The Islamist group seeks to subdue those jihadist rivals who attempt to challenge its monopoly on power in Idlib, al-Tamimi said.   “What HTS once saw as a nuisance it could keep under control now became more of a threat in its eyes requiring to be properly subdued, though not necessarily eliminated,” he added.   And while the HTS may use rhetoric against the Russian-Turkish agreement over Idlib, in practice it abides by it, al-Tamimi said.   Political benefit   Some experts believe the HTS campaign to target extremists is a bid by the militant group to be included in any political settlement over Idlib and Syria as a whole.      “HTS has been trying to signal – to Turkey, most immediately, but by implication to the wider international community – for some time that it can be an acceptable long-term actor in Syria, and attacking an avowed al-Qaida group like Hurras al-Din is certainly a way to do that,” Kyle Orton, a Syria researcher based in London, told VOA.   The timing of this campaign, however, seems to be sending mixed signals.   “HTS could have wiped out Hurras al-Din at any time and chose only to move when there was political benefit, or HTS is not in fact capable of eliminating Hurras al-Din, so even on cold realist terms HTS is useless in handling the issue that most external actors care about, namely transnational terrorists,” Orton concluded.  

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[omgstupendousbouquetbasement]

Powerful Islamist Group Intensifies Crackdown on Jihadists in Syria's Idlib

A powerful Islamist militant group in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has launched a military campaign against rival jihadist groups, local news reports and rights groups said Sunday.   Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, on Sunday began targeting villages in the western part of Idlib where jihadists have significant presence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.   The Syrian Observatory, which monitors war developments in the country, said HTS fighters raided the village of Arab Saeed in Idlib, arresting several jihadist militants, including a leader with the Hurras al-Din group.   Hurras al-Din is one of several jihadist factions that have been operating in northwestern Syria. The group is al-Qaida’s main affiliate in the war-torn country.   Before formally severing ties with the global jihadist group in 2016, HTS was regarded as the Syrian branch of al-Qaida. At the time, it was known as the al-Nusra Front.   The crackdown comes nearly two weeks after several jihadist groups, including Hurras al-Din, announced the formation of a joint operations room to coordinate efforts in the fight against Syrian government troops and allied forces.      A local administration in Idlib backed by the HTS issued a statement Sunday, saying no armed groups are allowed to operate in the city of Idlib, except for those affiliated with the HTS.   Neutralizing extremists   The Syrian Observatory said the fighting Sunday between HTS and Hurras al-Din forced the latter to agree to a cease-fire that required the jihadist group to evacuate its headquarters and withdraw from certain parts of Idlib.      Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, charges that the ongoing crackdown by HTS against other extremist groups in the restive province has been approved by the Turkish military. 

FILE - Rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group are seen near buses, outside the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Idlib province, Syria, July 18, 2018.

“As part of this campaign, the Turkish government is trying to neutralize groups that are more radical than HTS,” he told VOA. “In one way or another, the HTS coordinates its efforts with the Turkish forces.”   Turkey rejects allegations that HTS is coordinating its recent efforts with Turkey-backed rebels.   Turkey, however, maintains a significant military presence in Idlib and other parts of northwestern Syria, while supporting Syrian rebel groups present there.   In March, Turkey and Russia brokered a cease-fire deal in Idlib aimed at bringing an end to a Syrian government offensive that had begun last year to recapture Idlib.   The two countries reached the agreement after several previous unsuccessful deals over Idlib, which is currently home to more than 2 million people.   According to all those agreements, Turkey was required to remove all extremist groups from the province, including those allied with the al-Qaida.   In 2018, Turkey officially designated the HTS as a terrorist organization. The designation came a few days before one of the agreements between Turkey and Russia over Idlib. According to that agreement too, the HTS was among the radical groups to be removed from Idlib by Turkey.   M4 significance   The current truce between Russian-backed Syrian troops and Turkish-backed rebels in Idlib remains largely holding as Russia and Turkey have been conducting joint patrols in the Syrian province.   Jihadist groups active in Idlib have consistently rejected cease-fires in the province, including the joint Russian-Turkish patrols on parts of the strategic M4 Highway that connects the two Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Latakia and goes through Idlib.   Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory said Turkey has been trying to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of fully implementing its agreement with Russia, and therefore it has decided to unofficially support HTS efforts to weaken the jihadists in Idlib.

FILE - Syrian demonstrators rally in the town of Binnish in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, May 1, 2020, to condemn a reported attack by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group on a protest the previous day.

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a Syria researcher at Swansea University in the U.K., says he doesn’t believe the HTS crackdown came because of Turkish orders.   However, he told VOA, “the end result is that this [campaign] allows the Turkey-Russia patrols to proceed and is an end to the limited leeway HTS previously granted its jihadist rivals.”   The Islamist group seeks to subdue those jihadist rivals who attempt to challenge its monopoly on power in Idlib, al-Tamimi said.   “What HTS once saw as a nuisance it could keep under control now became more of a threat in its eyes requiring to be properly subdued, though not necessarily eliminated,” he added.   And while the HTS may use rhetoric against the Russian-Turkish agreement over Idlib, in practice it abides by it, al-Tamimi said.   Political benefit   Some experts believe the HTS campaign to target extremists is a bid by the militant group to be included in any political settlement over Idlib and Syria as a whole.      “HTS has been trying to signal – to Turkey, most immediately, but by implication to the wider international community – for some time that it can be an acceptable long-term actor in Syria, and attacking an avowed al-Qaida group like Hurras al-Din is certainly a way to do that,” Kyle Orton, a Syria researcher based in London, told VOA.   The timing of this campaign, however, seems to be sending mixed signals.   “HTS could have wiped out Hurras al-Din at any time and chose only to move when there was political benefit, or HTS is not in fact capable of eliminating Hurras al-Din, so even on cold realist terms HTS is useless in handling the issue that most external actors care about, namely transnational terrorists,” Orton concluded.  

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[omgstupendousbouquetbasement]

Powerful Islamist Group Intensifies Crackdown on Jihadists in Syria's Idlib

A powerful Islamist militant group in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has launched a military campaign against rival jihadist groups, local news reports and rights groups said Sunday.   Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, on Sunday began targeting villages in the western part of Idlib where jihadists have significant presence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.   The Syrian Observatory, which monitors war developments in the country, said HTS fighters raided the village of Arab Saeed in Idlib, arresting several jihadist militants, including a leader with the Hurras al-Din group.   Hurras al-Din is one of several jihadist factions that have been operating in northwestern Syria. The group is al-Qaida’s main affiliate in the war-torn country.   Before formally severing ties with the global jihadist group in 2016, HTS was regarded as the Syrian branch of al-Qaida. At the time, it was known as the al-Nusra Front.   The crackdown comes nearly two weeks after several jihadist groups, including Hurras al-Din, announced the formation of a joint operations room to coordinate efforts in the fight against Syrian government troops and allied forces.      A local administration in Idlib backed by the HTS issued a statement Sunday, saying no armed groups are allowed to operate in the city of Idlib, except for those affiliated with the HTS.   Neutralizing extremists   The Syrian Observatory said the fighting Sunday between HTS and Hurras al-Din forced the latter to agree to a cease-fire that required the jihadist group to evacuate its headquarters and withdraw from certain parts of Idlib.      Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, charges that the ongoing crackdown by HTS against other extremist groups in the restive province has been approved by the Turkish military. 

FILE - Rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group are seen near buses, outside the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Idlib province, Syria, July 18, 2018.

“As part of this campaign, the Turkish government is trying to neutralize groups that are more radical than HTS,” he told VOA. “In one way or another, the HTS coordinates its efforts with the Turkish forces.”   Turkey rejects allegations that HTS is coordinating its recent efforts with Turkey-backed rebels.   Turkey, however, maintains a significant military presence in Idlib and other parts of northwestern Syria, while supporting Syrian rebel groups present there.   In March, Turkey and Russia brokered a cease-fire deal in Idlib aimed at bringing an end to a Syrian government offensive that had begun last year to recapture Idlib.   The two countries reached the agreement after several previous unsuccessful deals over Idlib, which is currently home to more than 2 million people.   According to all those agreements, Turkey was required to remove all extremist groups from the province, including those allied with the al-Qaida.   In 2018, Turkey officially designated the HTS as a terrorist organization. The designation came a few days before one of the agreements between Turkey and Russia over Idlib. According to that agreement too, the HTS was among the radical groups to be removed from Idlib by Turkey.   M4 significance   The current truce between Russian-backed Syrian troops and Turkish-backed rebels in Idlib remains largely holding as Russia and Turkey have been conducting joint patrols in the Syrian province.   Jihadist groups active in Idlib have consistently rejected cease-fires in the province, including the joint Russian-Turkish patrols on parts of the strategic M4 Highway that connects the two Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Latakia and goes through Idlib.   Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory said Turkey has been trying to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of fully implementing its agreement with Russia, and therefore it has decided to unofficially support HTS efforts to weaken the jihadists in Idlib.

FILE - Syrian demonstrators rally in the town of Binnish in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, May 1, 2020, to condemn a reported attack by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group on a protest the previous day.

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a Syria researcher at Swansea University in the U.K., says he doesn’t believe the HTS crackdown came because of Turkish orders.   However, he told VOA, “the end result is that this [campaign] allows the Turkey-Russia patrols to proceed and is an end to the limited leeway HTS previously granted its jihadist rivals.”   The Islamist group seeks to subdue those jihadist rivals who attempt to challenge its monopoly on power in Idlib, al-Tamimi said.   “What HTS once saw as a nuisance it could keep under control now became more of a threat in its eyes requiring to be properly subdued, though not necessarily eliminated,” he added.   And while the HTS may use rhetoric against the Russian-Turkish agreement over Idlib, in practice it abides by it, al-Tamimi said.   Political benefit   Some experts believe the HTS campaign to target extremists is a bid by the militant group to be included in any political settlement over Idlib and Syria as a whole.      “HTS has been trying to signal – to Turkey, most immediately, but by implication to the wider international community – for some time that it can be an acceptable long-term actor in Syria, and attacking an avowed al-Qaida group like Hurras al-Din is certainly a way to do that,” Kyle Orton, a Syria researcher based in London, told VOA.   The timing of this campaign, however, seems to be sending mixed signals.   “HTS could have wiped out Hurras al-Din at any time and chose only to move when there was political benefit, or HTS is not in fact capable of eliminating Hurras al-Din, so even on cold realist terms HTS is useless in handling the issue that most external actors care about, namely transnational terrorists,” Orton concluded.  

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