In what is being described as one of the most sensitive security issues in northern Syria, Syrian authorities have launched a campaign to eliminate the presence of foreign fighters in Idlib Province — a move seen as “the most delicate and complex” step since the new government came to power in Damascus.

The Syrian security forces have carried out a wide-scale operation against armed groups of French nationals in the Idlib countryside, particularly in the Harim camp, where fierce clashes erupted, followed by negotiations that ended with the group’s leader, Omar Omsen, handing over a kidnapped girl as part of an agreement that also included the disarmament of his faction.

The internal security forces later withdrew from the camp’s surroundings, maintaining some checkpoints to secure the area.

The declared objective of the operation is to arrest the leaders of these groups — foremost among them Omar Omsen, whose name has for years been linked to reports of terrorism, kidnapping, and extortion. This operation is seen as the beginning of a new phase in confronting the foreign fighters spread across northern Syria.

In this context, military and strategic expert Brigadier General Ahmad Rahhal, speaking to Sky News Arabia from Istanbul, said that what is happening in Idlib marks the beginning of a long and complicated process — not the end of this tangled issue.