Disputes between jihadist groups in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Disputes between extremist jihadist organizations in Idlib, northwest Syria, led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to carry out a campaign of arrests that targeted a number of members and leaders of the Guardians of Religion organization, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Private sources told North Press that the HTS General Security Service (GSS) arrested a number of members and leaders of the Guardians of Religion in the city of Idlib and the villages of al-Ya’qoubiya, al-Qunya and al-Hamamah, in the countryside of Jisr al-Shughour.
Among those arrested on Sunday, were Abu Osama al-Jazrawi and Abu al-Darda’ al-Jazrawi, who were arrested near Church Street in Idlib, the sources added.
In addition, Mo’az al-Turki was arrested in the village of al-Hamamah, Abdulrahim al-Turki in the village of al-Qunya, Abdulrahman al-Turki in the village of al-Ya’qoubiya, and Abdulrahman al-Faransi in front of the gas station of the village of al-Ya’qoubiya in the countryside of Jisr al-Shughour, and they are all of foreign nationalities.
Hours before the operation, the HTS members had arrested the leader of the Guardian of Religion, Abu al-Layth Ma’bar, near al-Sa’a Roundabout in the city of Idlib.
On February 20, the HTS arrested Abu Abdullah al-Souri, the son of the former official spokesman for al-Nusra Front, who was killed in a raid by the US-led Global coalition early in April 2016.
During the past months, relations between the HTS and other jihadist organizations have witnessed tensions, which led to the outbreak of battles and clashes between them, according to the sources.