Turkish intelligence, HTS hold meeting at Bab al-Hawa crossing
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, officials from Turkish intelligence and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) held a meeting at Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish side. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss various issues related to the foreign detainees held in HTS prisons in Idlib, northwest Syria.
A security official in the General Security Services (GSS) of the HTS, told North Press that the GSS presented to the Turkish officials files of all foreign detainees in HTS prisons. Furthermore, they provided a file on the Firqat al-Ghuraba, an al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group mostly consisting of French nationals, which included details about their families, data, and their locations.
The GSS also shared with the Turkish intelligence statistics and data concerning the children of foreign fighters who either lost their parents or are still alive, the source added.
During the meeting, the Turkish side proposed the formation of a military unit specialized in border monitoring through fixed points and the pursuit of smugglers in the city of Idlib and its countryside, most of whom are affiliated with the HTS. In return, HTS would receive the necessary support from the Turkey.
According to the source, prominent figures representing HTS at the meeting included al-Mughira al-Badawi and Abu Abdurrahman al-Shami. Both are security officials operating under the leadership of Abu Muhammad al-Jolani.
The meeting, which marks the first of its kind in 2023, took place in the main building of Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish side and lasted for three hours, the source noted.