The Al-Nusra Front’s Success in Syria is Shadowed by Their Casualties

As the Syrian Opposition applauds the success of the Al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra) offensives at the Ma’arat Al-Nu’man District (Idlib Governorate) and in western Dara’a, their achievements have become overshadowed by their significant loss of armed personnel. The morbid reality of these victories that the Al-Nusra Front boasts is quite concerning for the Al-Qaeda linked organization because they are losing more men than they can recruit in a short period of time.

On Monday morning, the Al-Nusra Front was able to finally capture Wadi Al-Deif after a 2 year long siege that required them to disregard their losses in order to make a significant push into the base. The Al-Nusra Front reportedly confirmed that they suffered 63 casualties in the fight for Wadi Al-Deif, but what they failed to mention was that these 63 casualties were a result of 36 hours of intense firefights.

Further adding to their plight, the Al-Nusra Front was forced to withdraw from the Al-Zahra Quarter in west Aleppo after suffering significantly high casualties in a matter of 3 days due to shelling and firefights that engulfed this area. Over 80 Al-Nusra Front militants were killed in those 3 days and a large number of armed personnel were reportedly wounded; this left them no choice but to withdraw from the Air Force Intelligence building’s vicinity.

Also in the Aleppo Governorate, the Al-Nusra Front has besieged the 2 predominately Shi’i populated villages of Al-Zahra and Nubl, failing to breach Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces (NDF) defenses on more than one occasion. Last week, after losing over 100 fighters in southern Nubl, the Al-Nusra Front withdrew from the southern perimeter of the village, abandoning their positions at the recently captured factories. The Al-Nusra Front is still unable to break into the 2 villages; however, this has not deterred them from spending countless lives trying to capture them.

Identified Al-Nusra Front fighters killed around Syria:

1. Mustafa ‘Ali Salloum (Wadi Al-Deif)
2. Ibrahim Ahmad Weeshou (Al-Zahra)
3. “Abu Yasseen Al-Binnishi (Wadi Al-Deif)
4. Hassan Mohammad Al-Hussein (Wadi Al-Deif)
5. Zakaria Kiraz (Wadi Al-Deif)
6. Unidentified (Al-Wa’er)
7. “Abu Mahmoud Al-Hamwi” (Wadi Al-Deif)
8. “Abu ‘Ammar Al-Jazrawi” (Saudi killed at Wadi Al-Deif)
9. Mubaarak Al-Rasheedi (Saudi killed at Wadi Al-Deif)
10. Mustafa Ahmad Al-Qadour (Wadi Al-Deif)
11. Mustafa Jabaani (Wadi Al-Deif)
12. ‘Abdou Talaal Al-‘Abdel-Kareem (Wadi Al-Deif)
13. ‘Alaa Qadour (Wadi Al-Deif)
14. ‘Abdel-‘Aleem Al-Uzbeki (Uzbek killed at Al-Zahra)
15. “Abu Mohammad Al-‘Uzbeki (Uzbek killed at Al-Zahra)
16. Yousif Al-Mohaajar Al-‘Uzbeki (Uzbek killed at Al-Zahra)
17. Islaam Al-‘Uzbeki (Uzbek killed at Zahra)
18. “Abu Dujaana Al-‘Uzbeki” (Uzbek killed at Al-Zahra)
19. Mohammad Kour ‘Umar (Al-‘Amariyya)
20. Marwan Khalif (Nubl)
21. Mohammad ‘Abdullah Al-Za’abi (Sheikh Miskeen)
22. ‘Imran ‘Abdel-Sattar Al-Bash (Sheikh Miskeen)
23. Mohammad Al-Shamer (Wadi Al-Deif)
24. Khaled Khalouf Al-Bass (Khan Sheikhoun)
25. Anas Mustafa Qaidou (Al-Zahra)
26. Ahmad Hussein Al-Dagheem (Khan Sheikhoun)
27. Khaled Abu Khataab (Nubl)
28. Hussein ‘Ibrahim Kharfaan (Al-Zahra)
29. Khaled Talaal Al-Qandi (Sheikh Miskeen)
30. ‘Abdou Al-Talaal (Khan Sheikhoun)
31. ‘Abdel-Razaaq ‘Adnaan Khadi (Khan Sheikhoun)
32. Bashaar Mohammad Al-Hareeri (Khan Sheikhoun)
33. Yousif Hanouri (Handarat)
34. Yousif Sa’eed Mansour (Handarat)
35. Haidar Al-Waleed (Khan Sheikhoun)
36. Mohammad Saa’eh ‘Ibrahim (Khan Sheikhoun)
37. Raami ‘Aldaani (Khan Sheikhoun)
38. Ahmad Mohammad Al-‘Isma’aeel (Sheikh Miskeen)
39. Ahmad Al-Kanjou (Khan Sheikhoun)
40. Seif Al-Haqq Al-Hamwi (Handarat)
41. Nawaaf Al-Turki (Iraqi killed at Khan Sheikhoun)
42. Khaled Badr Al-‘Abdi (Iraqi killed at Khan Sheikhoun)
43. Ashraf ‘Ibrahim Qaytaaz (Khan Sheikhoun)
44. ‘Abdel Al-Kareem Al-‘Awad (Sheikh Miskeen)
45. Mahmoud Khaleel Madour (Handarat)
46. Mohammad Al-Khateeb (Handarat)
47. Mobhi Mokheebar (Handarat)
48. Ahmad Mohammad Sarraj ‘Ali (Al-Zahra)
49. Zakaria Ahmad Barakaat (Al-Zahra)
50. “Abu Mujahid Al-Teebaani” (Khan Sheikhoun)
51. “Abu Mouti Al-Halfaawi” (Khan Sheikhoun)
52. “Abu Hussaam Saqour” (Khan Sheikhoun)
53. ‘Issa Al-Sheeshaani (Chechen killed at Khan Sheikhoun)
54. “Abu Al-Qa’aqa’a Qala’yy” (Khan Sheikhoun)
55. Ahmad Hanouri (Handarat)
56. Mohammad Hanouri (Handarat)
57. ‘Abdel-Khalaaq Deeri (Handarat)
58. Ahmad ‘Abdel-Qader Hanouri (Handarat)
59. Mahmoud ‘Abdel-Mana’am Hanouri (Handarat)
60. Ahmad Al-Sawaa Abu Suleiman (Handarat)
61. Mohammad Ziad Al-Nasseraat (Sheikh Miskeen)
62. Diab Mohammad Al-Najjar (Handarat)
63. Mustafa Mirza (Jabal Al-Akrad)
64. Mohammad Yousef Al-Sa’adi (Sheikh Miskeen)

Source: Almasdarnews