The Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official affiliate in Syria, has released both video and pictures detailing a large military parade in Idlib province. The media were released through Nusrah’s Twitter feed for its Idlib operations. The pictures bear the caption of “Men of Tawhid [monotheism] and belief in the abodes of Islam,” while the video bears the title of “Jabhat al Nusrah, protectors of the mouths of Muslims in Idlib”.
The column includes light vehicles, such as SUVs, Jeeps, technicals (armed pickup trucks) and vans, mixed in with heavy vehicles. Several T-72 tanks are shown, as well as a pair of 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, BMPs (infantry fighting vehicles), and several large trucks.
Some unconfirmed reports allege that the parade showcased vehicles captured from recent fighting with the US-backed Syrian Revolutionaries Front (SRF). Earlier this month, Al Nusrah and its allies, including Jund al Aqsa, drove the SRF out of its stronghold in Deir Sonbol in the Jabal al Zawiya area of Idlib.
A Nusrah fighter claimed on Twitter that the vehicles were indeed captured from the SRF. However, Al Nusrah has not released an official statement confirming or denying this report nor were the pictures captioned to say that the vehicles were taken from the SRF. The Nusrah fighter is also not an official within the group.
Pictures released by Al Nusrah:
