Introduction:
With the dawn of Wednesday 13 August, IS attacked many points controlled by the armed opposition in the northern countryside of Aleppo, most notably: the strategic towns of A’khtareen and Turkman Bareh as they located on the crossroad near Bab As-Salama border crossing. IS attacked heavily opposition points which was a surprise after it was rumored that they are going to attack Kueres airport that is under the regime’s control.
IS called its battle: Atha’ar lel Afeefat (the revenge to the virgins) to enthuses its fighters. The name was based on a promoted story about raping “the wives and girls” of its Muhajereen (foreign) fighters in these villages of the northern countryside of Aleppo when the armed opposition managed to kick the IS out from Idlib countryside, Aleppo city, and most of Aleppo countryside towns after intenst clahses earlier this year. It is worth noting that these allegation were denied by prominent religious leaders within IS (such as Abdullah Al-Mhiesni). Also, no confirmed news has come to SNHR’s attention about any such violations.
The main reason, maybe, behind the “revenge attitude” of IS is to invade the northern countryside of Aleppo in order to avenge its military leader whom was known as “Hajji Bakr” after he was killed in Tal Refa’at in the northern countryside of Aleppo at the end of January during the wide clashes that resulted in the withdrawl of IS earlier this year.
The Islamic state managed on Wednesday to take over ten towns of the northern countryside of Aleppo: (A’akhtareen, Turkman Bareh, Al-Masoodeya, Al-Gooz, Al-Azeezyea, Al-Hameedya, Doayebeaq, Arshaf, Dabeq, and Ehteemlat). Besides the killing of 42 rebels either during clashes or field-executions; many among them were beheaded and deformed, including leaders and judges of the Islamic Front.