IDLIB: Syrian authorities have agreed a ceasefire with a group of jihadists led by Frenchman Oumar Diaby in northwest Syria, sources from both sides told AFP on Thursday.
Government forces surrounded the camp of Firqatul Ghuraba (“the Foreigners’ Brigade“) on Wednesday, leading to the first clashes with jihadists under Syria’s new leadership since the ousting in December of longtime ruler Bashar Assad.
Diaby, also known as Omar Omsen, was accused of kidnapping a girl and had sought to prevent troops entering the camp in the Harem region near the Turkish border, which is home to a few dozen fighters.
“An agreement was reached providing for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons (by the army),” and allowing the Syrian government to enter the camp, a local security official who requested anonymity told AFP.
The written agreement, seen by AFP, also stipulates that a criminal investigation will be opened into the allegations of kidnapping against Diaby.
