A few days after the announcement, HTS released their new production on the last year's worth of battles in Hama and Idlib: "Tahadath Ikhbaraha", the very title a reference to an ayat in Sura 99 in the Qur'an. It's 1hr and 33 min long.

The simplistic graphic mapping early Islamic history and the corny footage of old historical action films is jarring compared to the brutal, graphic introductory shots of battles showing both regime soldiers and HTS fighters struggling, injured, and killed.

In the introductory sequence, which starts with the events of spring 2014 + buildup to the government offensive in May, Jolani is giving off a very different vibe compared to his appearance in 2018's The Railroad. Casual all the way down to the Columbia logo on his polo.

And so it begins. Last May and June's battles in Kafr Nabudah + Karkat. Well-equipped Red Bands elite fighters are seen going into battle with helmets and an RPO-A Shmel(?).

A number of dead SAA/NDF and a few captured are shown in Kafr Nabudah. The fighting for this town was bloody for both sides with severe losses in repeated counterattacks. The footage focuses again on the Red Bands' efforts and their gear, silencers prominent.

A lot of armor and vehicle losses at Kafr Nabudah. Likely all government equipment.

Some repurposed Ebaa footage and fresh Red Bands footage from Jubbayn. In one instance a group of the elite fighters cross the open to help a comrade and get lit up by defending regime soldiers, with one dropping instantly. This was very close quarters fighting.

In June rebel forces would lash out and push government soldiers back across the North Hama Plain, going as far as Tremseh and Judaydah. While they saw temporary tactical gains, the counterattack was ultimately a costly strategic failure.

It's interesting that all of the other major speakers in the video so far, all HTS military commanders or field officers, are dressed up in fatigues and pictured with military backgrounds when Jolani opts for the "business casual/UPS floor manager" look.

The tone of the video shifts a bit and footage of Red Bands and storming groups training camps are shown. There's quite a bit to see here but I'm going to leave the analysis to @CalibreObscura who is far and above more capable than I am at weapons/equipment ID.

However, these bullpups are extremely aesthetically pleasing. There's no getting around the fact that Idlibi gunsmithing/modding has become an art form.

Another one. Look at that. Really impressive work and a tolerable camo job to match.

Finally we get a brief inside look at the manufacturing process of HTS' DIY infantry transport vehicles, showing serial numbers 236, 233, and 018 in the process.

We've seen before the digging of trenches and establishment of defenses but this is the first time I recall seeing the underground tunnels/bunkers in S. Idlib's fortifications. These definitely appear more refined than the ones at Kabbani.

As the summer of 2019 wore on the opposition began to lose its grip on strongholds in N. Hama, with RuAF/SyAAF aerial bombardment taking a heavy toll.

In spite of repeated raids that took a toll on government personnel, the rebels had no means of effectively coping with air power and the story of July and August into the autumn was that of withdrawal and abandonment of positions.

Of course, the opposition was not completely unsuccessful at taking out aerial units...

August came. Civilians, many of them unable to bring much more than small heirlooms, began fleeing in large numbers. The government bore down on Khan Sheikhoun and the narrator reminds the viewer of how Turkish involvement made little difference for Morek and Khan Sheikhoun.

By the end of August, the offensive had lost its steam and besides storming groups raids and fighting at Kabbani, HTS forces did not see much action. As we know now, this state of affairs was not to last. Old footage of past raids on the frontline is rehashed for this part.

Not the first time it's been seen in footage but a great shot of the open-top T-62/T-72 converted APC. Definitely more secure from heavy ordnance than the DIY APCs or a BMP.

As winter set in the frontline began to see more action starting in November and going into December. Opposition forces would take advantage of poor weather, as seen here, to put them on more equal footing with the government.

In scenes that would be repeated later on in the January and February campaigns, HTS and associated "Fath Mubin" groups would use rapid assaults to break the spirit of defenders and then move in to close quarters to mop up the routing opponents. More open-top tanks in action.

More from eastern Idlib cs in the winter as the government began its massive January offensive. Shitty weather gave some opportunities to the rebels but raids like the one at Abu Dafnah were costly. House to house fighting would be common.

I do not know what this thing is in the middle of the yard but I'm going to go with the obvious answer of "oversized seesaw".

A number of government dead are shown but the frontline keeps falling back. The government push to Ma'arat al-Numaan grows in intensity as January wears on. Here RT footage from the city is used to show the fighting. Not much rebel footage from the city.

For the first time in this video (56 minutes in!) we really see SVBIEDs get focused on. If you're wondering what this is all about, @HKaaman is your guy. Overall in the past year, 32 SVBIEDs ("martyrdom ops") have been used by HTS in offensives.

The piece goes on to cover SVBIEDs from the past year in a compilation. I don't believe any of these have gone unfilmed but some of the footage angles are new. Paired with testimonies from some of the drivers, celebrated for their ultimate sacrifice.

February came along and the focus shifted to Aleppo somewhat, as operations there raged with the government attempting to push west as well as retake ground it lost back in 2015. TIP and KTWJ, foreign fighter groups, get special mention for their efforts here.

Footage from az-Zahraa, Miznaz, and the S. Aleppo frontline at Rashideen is presented, fairly brief segment. First time a lot of this footage has been seen though.

Break from the combat footage: the destruction of graves by shabiha militia and the strikes on Turkish military convoys/positions by aircraft are covered. The faces of nearly a dozen of the 50+ TSK soldiers killed in Idlib in February are flashed before the camera.

Since this is an Amjad production, the breaks from intense combat footage only last so long. Both sides began taking horrid casualties in fierce fighting - the regime took poundings in Aleppo and the rebels lost 100+ fighters just around Nayrab and Saraqib.

The narration testifies to the resilience of the defenses in Aleppo before honing in on Aleppo footage again - this time, Miznaz and Kafr Halab are in focus. Artillery and mortar fire keeps inghimasi heads down.

Turkish involvement in February gets its just dues. Footage from Nayrab is shown, while avoiding focusing on the fact that these attacks were incredibly costly. Tank jousting in Nayrab. A SyAAF Mi-17 goes down in flames over Qmenas. Escalating towards peak intensity now.

In the wake of the killing of 34 TSK soldiers in a deadly airstrike at Tarnabah, Turkish involvement in Idlib was massively intensified. As the gov't still made gains to the south, Turkish drones wrought havoc on regime forces. Devastating strikes. The footage focuses on Nayrab.

In bloody battles on the 20th and 24th, rebels would capture Nayrab and eventually Saraqib at a great price. These gains would be reversed. A wounded militiaman is caught behind a house and shot dead. Intensive house to house fighting in both towns.

More from Nayrab + Afes. Spotted briefly in Afes is an SAA attempt to mask the presence of a tank by hiding it in a blown-out house, hiding away from Turkish aircraft.

Shoutout to the "Strive for Yourself" public mobilization campaign.

As the video nears a close, the frontline is marked and Jabal az-Zawiyah is denoted as the current focus. Tributes are made to the military commanders and martyrs as a way of achieving a bit of a more positive tone after the past 1 hr 10 min.

The video pays lip service to the civilians who actively reject and resist the RU-TR deal to patrol the M4 Highway. Note the sign. Popped this into Google translate and roughly, "Russian patrols broke the laws of Syrians and Turks, we fight these criminals together". Interesting.

And with final reflections from Jolani, the video ends. Unlike at the end of The Railroad, the group's martyrs of the recent battles are not listed. Perhaps the price was simply too high.

A year of war in Idlib and Hama has uprooted millions, killed thousands, and has led to destruction, looting, and ruin. Very little for Syrians to celebrate, even less to look forward to.

After ninety minutes, I am nothing but tired. End thread.