It has been more than a year since the coastal massacres in which large numbers of Alawite civilians were killed by government forces and pro-government militiamen following a coordinated Alawite insurgent attack on government positions in Latakia. As shown in a recent investigative report by the New Arab, the process of real accountability for the massacres has been seriously flawed in both evidence gathering and investigation, while for many survivors of the massacres, the publicised trials seem more for political show and optics.

But not all Alawite experiences on the coast are uniformly bad. Some Alawite localities have enjoyed an overall better relation with the new authorities.

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[For other interviews in this series, see:

. Interview with Hussam al-Astl.
. Interview with source from Quwat al-Watan al-Hurr.]

Among the Palestinian armed groups that are opposed to Hamas and work with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the 'Popular Army' is notable for its presence in the northern part of the Strip. It is led by one Ashraf al-Mansi.

Below is an interview recently conducted with a representative of the 'Popular Army' regarding its history, the background of its leader, the group's relationship with Israel and its outlook on the future of a Palestinian state. The interview is slightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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The following post is to provide any corrections and addenda to my translation and study of Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada's Minor Histories, recently published by Manchester University Press:

(i) pp. 8-9: By the "immediate aftermath" of Las Navas de Tolosa, I am referring to events after the battle concluding with the death of Alfonso VIII in 1214 CE. Alfonso VIII is clearly a heroic figure for Rodrigo.

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Following the recent fighting in the Kurdish-populated Aleppo city neighbourhoods of Shaykh Maqsud and Ashrafiya that saw the expulsion of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and central government takeover, some observers noted that the Alawite insurgent group Fawj Azra'il al-Jabal put out an announcement apparently claiming to have lost four fighters in the clashes. For some, this was supposedly a major revelation that proves some kind of alliance between the SDF and 'regime remnants' to undermine the government.

But what exactly is the story here? I asked Fawj Azra'il al-Jabal's leader Abu Ali Sumer to explain (and in this regard, I would like to thus make clear that the rumours of his arrest are untrue).

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As noted previously, among the various entities that have emerged in opposition to the new Syrian government, some espouse an ideology of 'Islamic resistance' in alignment with the broader 'axis of resistance' in the region. The most notable entity along these lines is the 'Islamic Resistance Front in Syria: Awali al-Ba's', which presently appears to be split into two factions, as I have noted.

The interview below was conducted on 5-6 January with 'Abu Mujahid', who leads the faction of the group that controls the original and larger social media channels.

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