Tensions Intensifying among Terrorist Groups in Syria's Idlib

Rasa - Media sources disclosed that a new wave of tensions has erupted between the newly-formed Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board) and Ahrar al-Sham in Northern Idlib.

News ID: 427951

Date: 07 March 2017 - 00:50

RNA - The Arabic language al-Ahd news website reported that the Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) that forms the main part of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at started to set up a command post near the Ahrar al-Sham' checkpoint in Bab al-Hawa square only 300 meters away from the main gate of Bab al-Hawa border crossing.

Al-Ahd added that Ahrar al-Sham, in response, reinvigorated its positions in the region to block any possible attack by Al-Nusra.

"Meantime, a commander of Tahrir al-Sham said that the Hay'at intends to conclude a new agreement with Ahrar al-Sham to grant the control of the Bab al-Hawa border passage to a third party, possibly Faylaq al-Sham," al-Ahd added.

In the meantime, Tahrir al-Sham took control of Ahrar al-Sham's checkpoints in the villages of al-Mastoumeh and Kafr Yamhoul in Southern Idlib.

Also, sources affiliated to the terrorist groups said that top commanders of Ahrar al-Sham have held a meeting to decide about their response to the recent attacks of Tahrir al-Sham Haya'at on their positions.

Websites affiliated to the terrorist groups disclosed on Saturday that heavy infighting resumed between the two main terrorist groups of Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at  in the province of Idlib and Aleppo once again.

The websites reported that Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at stormed the positions of Ahrar al-Sham in the Salqin town in Northwestern Idlib and arrested a number of Ahrar terrorists, trying to capture their positions including a main base of them used for manufacturing weapons.

In the meantime, differences over dispatching forces and equipment to Western Aleppo pushed Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at into heavy fighting near the ICARDA farms in Southern Aleppo.

A Syrian source said meantime that differences between the largest terrorist groups in Idlib have pushed the province towards massive infighting among militants once again.

The source added that some of the terrorist units in the Northern parts of Idlib and Aleppo provinces joined Ahrar al-Sham after infighting restarted between the two rival groups.

Late in January, Al-Nusra Front and several militant groups declared forming a new coalition under the name of Tahrir Al-Sham Hay'at to narrow down widening rifts amongst their commanders and members.

The Al-Nusra Front, Nouralddeen al-Zinki Movement, Jeish al-Sonah, Jabhat Ansaraldeen and Liwa al-Haq announced that they would act under a united coalition named the Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at.

The five merged terrorist groups act under the command of Abu Jaber Hashem al-Sheikh, who was one of the commanders of Ahrar al-Sham. The new coalition led by al-Sheikh is now fighting against Ahrar al-Sham, a rival terrorist group operating mainly in Northwestern Syria.

Al-Sheikh resigned from his post in Ahrar al-Sham after he was appointed as the commander of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at.

A number of Ahrar al-Sham's commanders, including the groups' spokesman Abu Yusuf al-Mohajer, Hesam Salameh and Abu al-Fatah al-Farqali Mesri also joined the new coalition.

Terrorist groups' websites claimed that Al-Nusra Commander Abu Mohammad al-Joulani will be the top commander of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at.

Ahrar al-Sham rejected its affiliation to the new coalition, but websites close to the terrorist groups have disclosed that Ahrar al-Sham, Faylaq al-Sham, Jeish al-Izzah, Turkistani party and Liwa al-Tamkin will soon start a new front called Tahrir al-Syria Front.

Nusra terrorists have been attacking positions of other terrorist rivals across Northwestern Syria.

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