Tahrir al-Sham tightening noose around Brotherhood affiliated legion in Idlib

Aya Ezz

Conflicts are arising between Tahrir al-Sham and Junud al-Sham, another terrorist organization sharing the control of the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.

This came after the latter accused the former of harassing a terrorist organization affiliated to it, namely al-Sham Legion.

On August 27, Tahrir al-Sham arrested Ammar Shartah, one of al-Sham Legion’s most outstanding leaders.

It also arrested Maher Jabs, another senior commander of the legion, even without leveling any charges against them.

This had angered the leadership of al-Sham Legion, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Pressure and blockade

According to the observatory, the arrest of the two commanders took place in Darkush, a city in the western countryside of Idlib, after Tahrir al-Sham set up more than five checkpoints to thoroughly search pedestrians.

The two commanders were arrested and their weapons confiscated along with the vehicle in which they were traveling.

Subsequently, a number of anti-Tahrir al-Sham activists staged a protest in the city of Kafr Takharim, western Idlib, to call for ending Tahrir al-Sham’s violations against civilians and military personnel from other organizations.

These violations, the demonstrators said, had gone beyond all acceptable limits in the past period.

Tahrir al-Sham countered, however, by mentioning a number of violations committed against it by al-Sham Legion.

This goes hand in hand with Tahrir al-Sham’s policy of justifying its actions by mentioning its desire to tighten the noose around those committing violations against it.

Tahrir al-Sham’s media spokesman, Taqi al-Din Omar, said his organization arrests and besieges some wanted persons because of the violations they had committed.

“This is a general judicial procedure,” he said.