HTS sends most brutal militants to Syria’s Manbij
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) sent on Saturday 75 militants to back the tribes in the armed conflict in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
The militants belong to the Red Bands faction, affiliated with the HTS, and they are disguised as civilians.
The mission of the Red Band faction is to conduct infiltration operations similar to Islamic State (ISIS) Inghimasi methods using explosive belts, IEDs and booby traps.
A military source told North Press that 75 militants headed via buses for civilians towards the western and northern frontlines of Manbij, northern Syria, under the pretense of backing tribes against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The source noted the this faction is the most extremist in the ranks of the HTS and consists of foreign militants who used to belong to al-Qaeda group.
The US-sanctioned Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, aka al-Amshat, affiliated with Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka Syrian National Army (SNA), facilitated their access through its checkpoints.
These militants will be deployed alongside the factions of Ahrar al-Sharqiya and Amshat from the direction of Awn al-Dadat crossing and the al-Sajur River, he added.
This came following a military operation called “Security Reinforcement” launched by the SDF against ISIS cells in Deir ez-Zor. The SDF later announced the dismissal of commander of Deir ez-Zor Military Council, Ahmad al-Khabil, known as Abu Khawla, from duty, for his involvement in crimes and violations.
The operation led to the eruption of clashes between the SDF and gunmen affiliated with the dismissed leader and with Nawaf al-Bashir, leader of al-Baggara tribe and a pro-Iranian figure whose groups are active in the western bank of the Euphrates which is under the control of the Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias. Several external parties took advantage of the situation and viewed that clashes erupted between the SDF and Arab tribes, which the SDF denied in a statement.