Qaeda-affiliated Guardians of Religion Organization rejects Sochi agreement

The Guardians of Religion Organization (GRO) has rejected on Sunday the surprise deal struck between Russian and Turkey to establish a demilitarized zone between the Syrian government and rebel forces  and joint patrols to enforce the compromise.

The agreement, forgen in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi between Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian president Vladimir Putin, allows Turkey to “strengthen” its 12 observation posts, establish a 15-20km-wide demilitarized zone along the Turkish-Syrian border and have all warring sides withdrawing from the area by October 10.

The GRO, an armed insurgent group affiliated with Al-Qaeda and fighting in the Syrian Civil War, said the agreement intends to clamp down on the armed factions since they agreed to limit their presence to northern Syria, leaving behind the cities and villages to the Syrian army.

The group also added that the agreement would increase the vulnerability of these factions, and also deemed whoever agrees to the terms stipulated in the agreement will let them down. It also called upon its sympathizers outside Syria to join them.

The Sochi deal further delays a much-anticipated offensive by the Syrian regime and allied Iranian-backed militias as well as Russian warplanes to retake Idlib, which has been in rebel hands for years.

Turkey deems this agreement as its last chance to save its gains after around eight years of intervention in the Syrian scene. It is now up to Ankara’s ability to disarm jihadist groups by the deadline.

The estimated thousands of hardcore jihadi fighters in Idlib pose another threat to the Sochi deal.

In addition to GRO, Tahrir al-Sham, the active Salafist jihadist militant group, also active in the Syrian Civil War, is inclined towards declining the agreement, though it has not officially announced that.

For their parts, armed factions affiliated with the Turkish regime started promoting for the agreement and demanding their counterparts in Idlib to accept its terms, while expressing gratitude to Turkey for what they claim as “efforts in Syrian’s interest.”