Syrian Security Forces Besiege Camp of French Fighters in Idlib Amid Security Tensions

On Wednesday, Syrian security forces imposed a full siege on a camp near the town of Harim in northwestern rural Idlib, sheltering extremist French fighters, after their leader Omar Diabi, also known as “Omar Omsen,” entrenched himself inside the camp and refused to surrender, according to a statement by Brigadier General Ghassan Bakir, head of internal security in the province.

Bakir pointed out that the security measures came after receiving several complaints, the latest being the kidnapping of a girl from her mother by an armed group led by Diabi. He added that security forces attempted to negotiate for his voluntary surrender, but he refused, prompting them to completely encircle the camp and establish checkpoints around its perimeter.

Correspondents from the French News Agency and reporters from Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath channels reported “light” clashes on Tuesday night into Wednesday between Syrian security and the French fighters inside the camp, involving light weapons, with no confirmed reports of casualties.

The camp serves as the main base for the “Strangers Brigade,” led by Diabi, and houses dozens of French fighters suspected of being recruited during the years of the Syrian conflict, along with their families. The siege is part of the new Syrian administration’s efforts to tighten security and hand over French elements wanted by French authorities since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.

Jibril Diabi, the French leader’s son, told AFP via WhatsApp that “the clashes began after midnight and are still ongoing,” explaining that the tension is linked to France’s desire to receive two French members of the group.

An eyewitness from Harim said that security forces are heavily deployed in the area surrounding the camp, with the arrival of vehicles equipped with machine guns, noting intermittent shelling and explosions from time to time. He added that locals preferred not to send their children to school to ensure their safety.

It is worth noting that Diabi, classified by the U.S. State Department as an “international terrorist,” left France in 2013 after working in a restaurant in Nice and moved to Syria to establish his faction, which included young Frenchmen. He led battles in northwest Syria within various jihadist organizations before founding the “Strangers Brigade.”