The war in Syria has seen the emergence of a variety of groups of muhajireen/muhajiroun. The term literally means 'migrants' but is used in this context to refer to the foreigners who came to Syria on the side of the insurgents. Many of these groups were absorbed into larger factions, but one of them still stands out as an independent entity today: Firqatul Ghuraba ('Division of the Strangers'), a group founded by French muhajireen and led by Omar Omsen. Recently the group came to renewed media attention following the arrest of Omar Omsen by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the largest faction in Idlib and its environs.

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In July 2020, fighting flared up between Azerbaijan and Armenia as both sides lost military personnel in clashes. Now, reports have emerged of both sides supposedly employing Syrian fighters as mercenaries. Thus, the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, citing a report by the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak quoting 'Azerbaijani media outlets,' claimed that Armenia has brought in YPG/PKK militants to train Armenian militias in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Meanwhile, Lindsey Snell (known for her stances against Turkey) claimed that men from the Turkish-backed al-Hamza Division of Syrian rebel fighters have arrived in Azerbaijan, supposedly via Turkey.

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[Editor's introduction: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi]:

The issue of the use of torture in prisons in the areas of northern Syria outside of the control of the Damascus-based government has aroused controversy, not only in the 'Euphrates Shield' and 'Olive Branch' areas of north Aleppo countryside but also in the region of Idlib and its environs. In the latter region, the question of the use of torture in prisons came to the forefront more recently with the arrests of Bilal Abdul Kareem and Tauqir Sharif by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.

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Previously on this site I published a translation of Saint Eulogius of Córdoba's work in defence of the martyrs of the Córdoba (Apologetic Book for the Martyrs). To recall, the martyrs of Córdoba were dozens of Christians executed by the Muslim authorities of the Emirate of Córdoba in the ninth century for various charges of blasphemy and apostasy. Now I turn to Eulogius' magnum opus: the Memoriale Sanctorum (Memorial of the Saints), which was composed in three books. The work is mentioned in the biography of Eulogius by his friend Álvaro of Córdoba. The Memoriale Sanctorum is the most important primary source account we have of the affair of the martyrs of the Córdoba, and on account of its length it is best to publish translations and commentaries on the three books of the Memoriale Sanctorum in separate posts.

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Since Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul and other parts of Ninawa province from the Islamic State, municipal offices have returned to operation, contributing to reconstruction efforts and working to restore public services to the inhabitants. However, there are many challenges facing the municipal offices, and the services situation is still not on the level it was prior to 2014.

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