MESOP MOSUL : OFFENSIVE AGAINST ISIL BY ISLAMIST COALITION
A new coalition of Islamic rebel factions, the “Operations Room for the People of the Levant,” has announced a new offensive against ISIL. On Monday, al-Nusra Front, Islamic Front, and Kurdish fighters launched attacks on the ISIL-held town of al-Bab. Meanwhile, in an interview with Lebanon’s al-Akhbar, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that since the beginning of the crisis, Syrians had trusted the state, and that his re-election was proof that this support remains. Syria has begun releasing prisoners under a general amnesty declared by Assad. The amnesty should cover prisoners detained under anti-terrorism legislation and foreign fighters, as long as they turn themselves in within a month. However, it is unclear how many prisoners will be released.