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WORLD NEWS Thursday 15 March 2018

Al-Qaida in Syria losing ground in battles with insurgents

By BASSEM MROUE ment forces there, which
BEIRUT (AP) — For the first has pressed the extremists
time since its meteoric rise to leave the area for their
in 2012 amid the chaos of stronghold in Idlib in order
war, al-Qaida's branch in to avoid the current crush-
Syria is in retreat, battling ing offensive.
rival militant groups in the The group's presence has
north and fighting for sur- also raised concern in na-
vival in a key foothold near tions from Turkey to the
the capital, Damascus. United States that fear the
Over the past three weeks, global network founded by
the extremist group has Osama bin Laden could
been driven from nearly all use its presence in northern
of the northern province of Syria to launch terrorist at-
Aleppo, losing dozens of tacks around the world.
fighters in battles there and The recent fighting appears
in nearby Idlib province. to have been triggered by
The fighting poses a major last month's assassination
challenge to the militant of a senior al-Qaida offi-
group, already beset by cial, Abu Ayman al-Masri,
infighting and a string of This photo purports to show al-Qaida-linked fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or Levant Libera- who was riding in a car with
assassinations that have tion Committee, in Idlib province, Syria. For the first time since its meteoric rise in 2012 amid the his wife when members of
chaos of war, al-Qaida branch in Syria is on the retreat, battling rival insurgent groups north of the
taken out some of its top country and fighting for survival in a key foothold near the capital Damascus. a rival militant group, Nour
leaders. Unlike previous (Ibaa News Agency, via AP) el-Din el-Zinki, fired on their
battles in which al-Qaida- vehicle, killing al-Masri and
linked fighters were able Syria and in the Damascus war against opposition- Several hundred al-Qaida wounding his wife.
to quickly crush their oppo- suburbs of eastern Ghouta held territory, since various fighters holed up in eastern The killing led to battles in
nents, the fighting has been has provided a pretext for de-escalation and cease- Ghouta have become a Aleppo and Idlib that have
particularly fierce, with the President Bashar Assad and fire agreements have ex- burden to the armed op- raged for the past three
militants losing dozens of vil- his Russian backers to wage cluded al-Qaida. position battling govern- weeks.q
lages. The al-Qaida-linked
coalition known as the Le-
tee is still one of Syria's most Bomb kills 9, wounds 27 in eastern Pakistan
vant Liberation Commit-

powerful armed groups, By ZAHEER BABAR
the checkpoint. He said he three were hospitalized in July last year. Three months
with fighters numbering in LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A believes the police were critical condition. Other earlier, a suicide bombing
the thousands.
While the U.S.-led coalition suspected suicide bombing targeted. wounded included mem- targeted a Pakistani gov-
ernment census team, kill-
near a police checkpoint The checkpoint is located bers of the Islamic preach-
and Russian-backed Syr-
ian troops have focused killed five police and four near a religious group's ing group known as Tab- ing at least six people in the
eastern city of Lahore.
bystanders and wounded main congregation place lighi Jamaat.
on driving the Islamic State
group from the country's 27 others on Wednesday in Raiwind near Lahore, the The main country's Taliban In February last year, 18
people were killed, includ-
near the city of Lahore in capital of Punjab province.
group Tehrik-e-Taliban Paki-
east, the al-Qaida-linked
group has consolidated its eastern Pakistan, police Ashraf said evidence at the stan claimed responsibility ing several police officials,
said.
scene suggested a motor-
for the bombing, saying it and more than 80 wound-
control over Idlib, where it
remains the strongest force Haider Ashraf, Lahore po- cycle was used. was a suicide attack. ed in a suicide attack dur-
Police said the blast took Lahore and its surroundings ing a protest on a busy in-
lice chief, said that evi-
despite its recent losses
there. dence collected from the place after evening prayers have seen many bomb tersection of Lahore.
On Easter Sunday in 2016,
scene suggested it was a and most members of the and suicide attacks in re-
After the defeat of IS, al-
Qaida is seen as the main ji- suicide attack. However, religious group had exited cent years, killing scores. at least 75 people were
A suicide attack near a killed and hundreds oth-
investigators and explo-
into the street, some mak-
hadi group that rejects any
peace talks to try to end sives experts were working ing purchases nearby. software technology park er wounded in a suicide
to ascertain whether the Ashraf said many of the in Lahore killed 26 people bombing that hit the main
Syria's seven-year conflict.
Its presence in northern bomb was planted near wounded were police and and wounded over 50 in entrance of a park.q