HTS arrests Guardians of Religion members in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) arrested two members of the Guardians of Religion group in Idlib countryside, northwest Syria.
Guardians of Religion, affiliated with al-Qaeda, along with other groups, forms Fathbatu (Be Steadfast) Operations Room, which is active militarily in the western countryside of Idlib and the northern countryside of Latakia.
Local sources told North Press that the General Security Service of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham arrested, on Sunday evening, two members said to be affiliated with Guardians of Religion in the town of al-Fu’ah, east of Idlib.
One of the arrested persons is Abu Uday Shahshabo, who is close to al Qaeda, and was severely beaten by HTS members when he was arrested, according to the sources.
The sources said that the towns of Kafriya and al-Fu’ah witnessed an intensive deployment of the General Security Agency, amid checks on pedestrians on the main roads.
On May 6, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham arrested the leader of the Guardians of Religion organization, known as Abu Maryam al-Jazaery, in the town of al-Yaqoubia in Jisr al-Shughour countryside, west of Idlib.
The relations between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Guardians of Religion have been strained, which led to battles and clashes between the two parties during the past months.