French Fighters in Syria: An Eid al-Adha Message from Omar Omsen

Translation and Overview

Of the various contingents of ‘muhajirin’ (foreign fighters and their families who joined the side of the insurgency in Syria) still present in the country following the fall of the Assad regime, the French nationals congregated as ‘Firqat al-Ghuraba’ (‘Division of Strangers’) under Omar Omsen is notable for being at odds with the Syrian government. The tension stems from two main reasons and has roots in disputes between Omar’s faction and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham when it controlled Idlib and its environs.