IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – The gap between Ahrar al-Sham, the largest faction of the Turkish-backed armed opposition, known as Syrian National Army (SNA), and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) seems to have been bridged by “an unannounced integration” amid Turkish silence that could imply a tacit okay regarding such a development.
Days ago, leadership of Ahrar al-Sham issued a statement in which it affirmed that founding leaders Jaber Ali Basha, Ali al-Omar, Muhannad al-Masri, Muhammad Rabie al-Safadi (Abu Mousa Kanakeri), Abu Haydera al-Raqqa and Khaled Abu Anas (Abu Anas Saraqib) were fired.
The abovementioned figures “had no real capacity in the movement and had no structural connection, and their opinions express their personal views not that official one of the movement,” the statement read.
Mousa Abu Azzam, a fired figure from the Political Affairs Office of Ahrar al-Sham told North Press, “The statement marks the start of an unannounced integration of the movement into the terrorist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.”
“This has been the aim sought by [Abu Muhammad] al-Julani since the 2020 occurrence upon which Abu Ubaida Amer al-Sheikh was installed leader for the movement instead of Abu Amar,” Abu Azzam added.
Turkish silence
The statement was issued following rising voices against the recent policy by Ahrar al-Sham which made it swayed at the discretion of the HTS that became obvious in facilitating the entry of the latter to Afrin whose militants wore the uniforms of Ahrar al-Sham to cover their presence in Afrin and its countryside, according to Abu Azzam.
“Al-Julani deservedly, under the nose of the Turkish supporter that seems appeased towards what is taking place, subjected many factions along with the [Ahrar al-Sahm] movement such as Sham Legion, al-Amshat Division, al-Hamzat among others,” Abu Azzam noted.
According to Abu Azzam, had the Turkish side not being satisfied with such a rapprochement “it would have halted that merely by warning Abu Ubaida. This is a stance resembles the Turkish stance towards some SNA factions’ (al-Amshat and al-Hamzat) support to the HTS upon its entry to Afrin.”
It seems that Ahrar al-Sham has “integrated covertly” [into HTS] notably since the Military Council in Idlib, and the al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room has become the largest framework that share the Ahrar al-Sham and HTS blessed by its prominent leaders, according to Abu Azzam.
Abu Azzam said “On October 8, more than 1.100 members of a mass bloc within Ahrar al-Sham the first of which Iman Brigade defected.”
Abu Azzam indicated that the reason behind that “owes to their condemnation of unprecedented rapprochement between the Ahrar al-Sham and the HTS. Another reason is that the Ahrar al-Sham has compromised its demands and principles upon which it was founded notably since the HTS has been classified in the black list.”
Complementarity
However, from the viewpoint of Nader Abu al-Yaman Morek, a military leader under the current leadership in Idlib, “It is no longer a secret that the unprecedented rapprochement and complementarity that shares Ahrar al-Sham and the HTS.”
“We, as military [leaders] in the Ahrar al-Sham, are largely operating by our troops and equipment under the banner of HTS in al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room and in the Military Council in Idlib, on the frontlines of south of Idlib and west of Aleppo countryside, in addition to security coordination.”
Abu al-Yaman indicated to the firing of “corrupt” leaders in the “movement” [Ahrar al-Sham] through the recent statement as “a right and anticipated step to clear interior [of the movement] and to take a firm stance against fragmentation that sweeps the [Syrian] National Army.”
The military leader pointed out that such a rapprochement comes within “solidarity and harmony with the HTS as all other aspiring factions [working] against the regime [Syrian government] that seeks to occupy the area.”
However, what compelled the current leadership to this unprecedented approach is two important reasons according to Abu al-Yaman; the first is “a bid by the former leadership led by Abu Amar (Muhammad al-Omar) from Ahrar al-Sham to integrate into Levant Front (Levant Front) in 2020 that pushed Amer al-Sheikh to get rid of such a plot and take the initiative supported by the HTS.”
The second is “Turkey’s halting logistical and financial support from the movement long with Sham Legion nearly four months ago that led the current leadership to find a better alternative that is HTS which pays salaries and logistics of the movement right now whether in Idlib or Afrin.”
Abu al-Yaman voiced his belief that the issued statement “explains overtly the succeeding meetings al-Julani held with Abu Ubaida al-Sheikh in Atmeh [Idlib northern countryside] last month. However, the coming days seem to be pregnant with a lot of surprises.”