Tahrir al-Sham in its death throes

Aya Ezz

Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist group being caged in Syria’s northern town of Idlib, is reportedly in its death throes. Confirming reports about its dilemma, Rabie Shalabi, a researcher interested in Islamic movements, said that the terrorist group had realized that the noose was being tightened around its neck.

Shalabi told the Reference that Tahrir al-Sham must have realized that its days were numbered  after Ankara decided to abandon it.  The researcher also described the Russian-Turkish deal in Idlib as the last straw. “Moscow is also determined to deal a devastating blow to Tahrir al-Sham to force it to leave the area,” he added.

According to Shalabi, Idelib is viewed by all rebel factions there as a strategic strongholds. “Therefore, Tahrir al-Sham and other terrorist groups will continue manouevering to stay longer in the area,” Shalabi noted.

A deal brokered by Russia and Turkey to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib has  temporarily helped rebel factions including Tahrir al-Sham to avoid a full-scale Syrian army offensive.

Frustrated about its survival, Tahrir al-Sham has launched desperate terrorist attacks on civilians around. According to SANA, the rebel group yesterday attacked a small village in Idlib, killing two children and a woman. SANA also reported that Tahrir al-Sham was engaged in a heavy fighting early on Friday with a rebel group named National Liberation Front. The battle came after the village of Zerdna witnessed heavy fighting between Tahrir al-Sham and the Free Army. The spokesman of Tahrir al-Sham supported reports, which disclosed that the rebel group planned the attack on the village to kidnap people allegedly loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Tahrir al-Sham’s spokesman said the abductees were enthusiastic to reconciliation in the area.

However, an agreement signed by Tahrir al-Sham and the local municipality in the village will help the release of the abductees on condition that they should move to live somewhere else.