Syria Faces Renewed Security Turmoil as Forces Target Foreign Militants Amid Growing Internal Rivalries
Syria’s fragile post-war landscape is showing signs of deepening instability as rivalries between armed factions and foreign-linked militias intensify, with analysts warning that the country risks sliding toward a security crisis similar to Libya’s.
According to reports from Al-Akhbar and Middle East News, the absence of a unified state structure and hidden power struggles among local and foreign-backed groups have left security in northwestern and central Syria “on the brink of collapse.” Observers noted that areas controlled by tribal forces, Turkish-backed militias, and U.S.-supported Kurdish units have turned into “powder kegs,” where shifting alliances and external interference threaten renewed conflict.
Tensions have been exacerbated by recent confrontations between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other armed factions, including the arrest of a Uyghur militant known as Abu Dujana al-Turkistani, which triggered protests among foreign fighters. The situation reflects growing fragmentation within the so-called transitional government, which has struggled to integrate rival groups into a centralized defense structure.
Meanwhile, Al Arabiya reported that Syrian government forces on Wednesday launched their first major assault against extremist elements since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad, surrounding a camp in Idlib’s Harem region housing the Firqatul Ghuraba group led by French national Oumar Diaby, also known as Omar Omsen. The standoff sparked overnight clashes after Diaby allegedly refused to surrender and opened fire, according to security commander Gen. Ghassan Bakir.
The group, composed of about 50 foreign fighters, has been accused of kidnappings and other crimes. Diaby, designated by the U.S. as an international terrorist in 2016, is also wanted by France.
UN envoy Geir Pedersen has repeatedly warned that Syria’s fragmented military landscape and competing regional interests risk creating “a second Libya,” with mounting tensions now making that prediction appear increasingly plausible.
