Following the Syrian security forces’ attack on the French fighters’ camp…Paris denied asking the Syrian government to attack nor wanted to hand them over!

A report published by Radio France Internationale (RFI) revealed that the security operation carried out by Syrian forces against a camp known as the “French Jihadist Camp” in the Idlib countryside wasn’t conducted at the request of the French authorities.

The report explained that French diplomatic sources confirmed at the time that Paris was closely monitoring developments, but had no comment on an operation that falls within the powers of the security services of the transitional government in Syria.

The report indicated that France has no reason to demand the arrest of Omar Omsen, the camp leader also known as “Omar Diaby”, explaining that the French authorities don’t currently wish to repatriate French fighters from Syria due to public opinion’s rejection of this, and fear of the security risks that may result from their return.

The report added that the reasons for the operation remain unclear, noting that if Omsen is imprisoned in Syria, the French judiciary may request his extradition.

However, the absence of diplomatic relations between Paris and Damascus makes extradition impossible. It confirmed that “Omsen’s trial, if it takes place, will be held on Syrian soil”.

The report suggests that Syrian transitional president Ahmed al Sharaa may be seeking, through this operation, to create the conditions for possible intelligence cooperation with Western countries by cleaning the field of extremist groups, without being officially asked to do so.

He also suggested that local disputes within Idlib were behind the operation, as Omsen had been arousing the ire of the security services in the region due to his refusal to comply with their laws.

The report indicated that the influence of Omar Omsen’s group has declined in recent years, but the man still retains considerable popularity among his supporters, as he is the last French preacher to film preaching videos in French inside Syria.

His group is described as small, poorly funded and marginalized, especially after most of the “French jihadist emirs” were killed since 2014 in precise strikes carried out by the international coalition, with Omsen being the only one who has survived so far.

Earlier, violent clashes broke out in the city of Harem, north of Idlib, inside what is known as the “French camp,” between the Syrian internal security forces and foreign fighters of French nationality.

Syrian media reported that the clashes began when a security force tried to enter the camp to arrest a wanted man, but was met with fierce resistance from foreign militants, some of whom were linked to the Syrian army’s “Division 82”.

The camp, known as “Ghurabaa” (The Strangers), is located near the Syrian-Turkish border in the Idlib countryside.

Its led by the French-Senegalese Omar Diaby (Omar Omsen), who arrived in Syria in 2013 from the French city of Nice, where he established one of the largest networks for recruiting French and African fighters, some of whom joined ISIS, while others remained within the factions close to Hay’at Tahrir al Sham.