ISIS Captures Territory From Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) said on Monday that it has captured a number of positions from al-Qaida-linked militants east of Hama, Reuters reported.
ISIS said it captured 12 villages from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance after launching an attack against the group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported the capture of a number of villages from HTS, Reuters said.
Citing the SOHR, Reuters said that ISIS was able to capture HTS positions after crossing government-held territory in Hama. The SOHR said that some militants had crossed with civilians. In its own statement, HTS accused the Syrian army of allowing ISIS to cross government-held territory to carry out the attack.
The push by ISIS comes only two days after the Syrian army said it had driven ISIS from its last pocket in the countryside east of Hama. Citing the SOHR and HTS, Reuters said that the same ISIS militants who were pushed out by the Syrian government were behind Monday’s attack.
Turkish Military Confirms Deployment in Idlib
The Turkish military confirmed on Monday that its troops had moved into Idlib province to enforce a de-escalation zone in a region controlled by al-Qaida-linked militants, Reuters reported.
A Turkish military statement on Monday said that Turkish forces were deployed to Idlib on Sunday to carry out “reconnaissance activities” in the area, including the creation of “observation points,” Reuters said
The statement added that Turkish troops were conducting operations in line with the rules of engagement agreed upon in the Kazakh capital of Astana last month.
The deployment came one day after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of a “serious” military campaign in Idlib.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Clashes With Turkey-backed Rebels in Idlib
Al-Qaida-linked militants on Monday clashed with Turkey-backed rebel groups in Idlib’s northern countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Clashes broke out after local fighters from the town of Armanaz who are members of the Ahrar al-Sham and Failaq al-Sham rebel groups exchanged fire with members of the Turkistan Islamic Party who were carrying out a patrol in the area.
The al-Qaida-linked HTS alliance intervened on the Turkistan Islamic Party’s behalf and dispatched reinforcements to the town. Fierce clashes between the Turkey-backed rebels and the HTS alliance overnight led to the closure of the main road leading to the town. An unspecified number of fighters were killed on both sides, the SOHR said.
The HTS alliance is now in complete control of the town, the monitoring group said.
The fighting comes only three days after residents of Armanaz took to the streets demanding the HTS withdraw all its forces from the town. According to the SOHR, the HTS responded to the protests by opening fire at demonstrators.
The clashes also come days after Turkey announced the start of a military campaign that aims to enforce a de-escalation zone agreement in Idlib.
Recommended Reads
- IRIN: Turkey Intervenes in Syria: What You Need to Know
- Al Jazeera: Rebels: Turkey Operation in Idlib Likely to Go Smoothly
- The Guardian: Raqqa: A Journey Into the Destroyed Heart of the Islamic State Capital
- Council on Foreign Relations: The Coming Confrontation Between Israel and Iran
- Bloomberg: Why the U.S. and Turkey Are Suddenly in a Major Standoff