ISIS accuses Tahrir al-Sham of killing its leader

Aya Ezz

In a surprise move, ISIS accused Tahrir al-Sham of involvement in the assassination of its leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini.

In a statement it published on social media, ISIS said Tahrir al-Sham killed al-Husseini in an attack in the northern Syrian province of Idlib.

It also accused Tahrir al-Sham of betraying its leader by giving information about his whereabouts to Turkish forces.

This in turn, it said, caused the information to be passed on to the Americans.

Accusation and revenge

ISIS called on its supporters to take revenge on Tahrir al-Sham and the factions loyal to it.

This accusation came after months of conflict between ISIS and Tahrir al-Sham in north-western Syria.

The conflict was instigated by attempts by Tahrir al-Sham to impose its control over the region and eliminate ISIS remnants from it.

Tahrir al-Sham announced on several occasions the arrest or killing of ISIS operatives who planned attacks against civilians or its members.

Escalation

In December last year, Tahrir al-Sham said it had foiled a plot to assassinate its leader, Abu Mohamed al-Julani. It added that it had arrested the ISIS cell that targeted him.

In light of this escalation, ISIS is trying to exploit tensions between armed factions and Tahrir al-Sham to stir up strife and division.

The group may use this opportunity to regroup and increase its activities in north-western Syria, where it is facing great pressure.

It may also try to attract some disgruntled fighters from other factions to its ranks, especially foreign elements.

Tahrir al-Sham denies

In a statement, Tahrir al-Sham denied any connection to the assassination of the ISIS leader.

It called this accusation a ‘lie’ and an attempt to slander it.

“This fabricated accusation comes within the framework of a systematic campaign targeting Tahrir al-Sham with the aim of smearing its reputation and image, and stirring up strife and discord among the Mujahedeen,” Tahrir al-Sham said in its statement.

Repercussions

The aforementioned accusation may have political and security repercussions at the level of the Syrian, regional and international arena.

If ISIS continues to carry out terrorist attacks against civilians, foreign elements or forces, this could undermine negotiations and dialogue, and increase rifts and conflicts.

The death of the ISIS leader has proved that the organization is still able to hide its leaders and regroup, despite losing its caliphate in 2019.

Therefore, the international coalition against ISIS may have to intensify its security and intelligence operations against the group, and increase cooperation with its local partners.