(Zaman Al Wasl)- Tension persists in Idlib and Aleppo provinces following the clashes between Ahrar al-Sham brigade and the newly-formed Haya't Tahrir al-Sham (al-Sham Liberation Committee). Each side accuses the other of committing transgressions on a daily basis especially in Idlib’s northern countryside and the Jabal a-Zawiya area.
Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, Sheikh Abd al-Razzaq al-Mahdi, a member of the al-Sham Tahrir Haya’t admitted that there is superficial tension between al-Sham Tahrir Haya’t and the Ahrar al-Sham Movement. He pointed out that some mistakes caused the tense relations.
Al-Mahdi joined Haya’t Tahrir al-Sham on Saturday along with several other Sharia jurists including al-Mohasni and al-Alayani who were considered jurists for independent factions before the emergence of this new formation.
Fateh al-Sham may not escape US airstrikes despite new alliance
According to al-Mahdi, by joining the new alliance, they aim to unify the scene and review several suspended issues that face the factions joining the new formation. The most prominent issues being “persons arrested and detained for extended periods without trial,” as well as addressing the transgressions of the security branches of the factions that form Haya’t Tahrir al-Sham.
Ahmad Qar Ali, the official Ahrar al-Sham spokesman, had previously accused al-Sham Tahrir Haya’t of committing several violations. The most recent violation was their seizing two Jaish al-Islam cars in the border village of Qah after Jaish al-Islam recently joined the Movement’s ranks.
Idlib’s northern countryside has witnessed a series of security tensions between the two sides. The most significant incidents occurred close to the border town of Bab al-Hawa and the village of Darat Izza in Aleppo’s western countryside. The intervention of several jurists, including Sheikh Abd al-Razzaq al-Mahdi, in al-Sham Tahrir Haya’t, ended the confrontations.
However, it does not appear that Haya’t Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham Movement are moving towards finding a final solution despite the active ongoing negotiation between the two sides. The negotiations are happening at various levels. Top commanders from are meeting, and different factions, forming the two entities, are also meeting.
In a related context, the city of Darrat Izza in western Aleppo countryside witnessed calm after the security tension of recent days. Ahrar al-Sham Movement and Haya’t Tahrir al-Sham clashed in the city resulting in the Haya’t gaining control of the Movement’s headquarters and checkpoints. The Sharia Committee subsequently intervened and returned the situation to its status before the clashes according to the media activist Ahmad Rachid.
The establishment of Haya’t Tahrir al-Sham was announced in late January. The Haya’t includes Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, Jaish al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haqq, and Jabhat Ansar al-Din.
The new formation managed to attract several other commanders and jurists from Ahrar al-Sham Movement and other factions. Those joining have stressed the Tahrir al-Sham potential to unify the struggle against the regime.
The continuing tension in Idlib marks the attempt within the jihadist section of the resistance fighting the al-Assad regime for those involved to consolidate power in the province and Aleppo’s western countryside.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.