Hayat Tahrir al-Sham take positions, including border crossings, as rebels of Ahrar al-Sham retreat


The jihadists of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham bloc consolidated their control of much of Idlib Province in northwest Syria on Sunday, following advances against a leading rebel faction.

HTS — led by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, the group formerly linked to Al Qa’eda — attacked Ahrar al-Sham across much of the province last week, quickly taking towns and other territory. The jihadists surrounded the Bab al-Hawa crossing with Turkey, forcing Ahrar al-Sham to withdrew heavy equipment, tanks, and hundreds of fighters.

Nominally the crossing has been handed over to civilian control, under a ceasefire deal announced on Friday. However, HTS is expected by many to oversee movements of people and supplies.

On Sunday, HTS also took the Khirbet al-Jouz crossing from Ahrar al-Sham.

In the evening, following clashes in western Idlib Province and Latakia Province as well as at Khirbet al-Jouz, HTS and Ahrar al-Sham signed a statement reaffirming the Friday agreement for a truce and Ahrar al-Sham’s departure from the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

Idlib Province, taken by rebels and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (then Jabhat al-Nusra) in spring 2015, has been the largest opposition area in Syria. More than two million of Syria’s remaining 17 million people, including many displaced Syrians, live in the province.

The Decline of Ahrar

Ahrar al-Sham outnumbered Jabhat Fatah al-Sham in members, but since the formation of the HTS bloc last year, the rebel faction has struggled. It has been blamed for the loss of Aleppo city in December, and it was criticized for its failure to take a significant role in the offensive in northern Hama Province early this year.

In a commentary posted on Twitter, leading Syria analyst Thomas Pierret began, “Trying to make sense of Ahrar’s collapse in front of HTS. Ahrar was a capable force against the regime but melted away in front of HTS.”

Noting the jihadist origins of Ahrar al-Sham, Pierret assessed, “Problem seems to be lack of appropriate indoctrination” as Ahrar moved away from Jabhat al-Nusra/Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and HTS. While some in Ahrar established political distance from HTS, the faction struggled to make a doctrinal challenge to its rival between the leadership is “ideologically divided between revisionists and hardliners, hence no consistent messaging to rank and file”.

Ongoing Challenges

HTS still faces a series of challenges to its expansion, even as some units reportedly join it from Ahrar al-Sham.

Other groups — notably the faction Nour ed-Din al-Zinki — have left HTS because of the fighting. Residents in several towns have demonstrated against the jihadists. In some cases, HTS has pulled back — for example, in Kafranbel, where the Free Syrian Army took control of the cities.

The situation of Idlib city, the provincial capital, is unclear. Unsupported rumors on Sunday said that HTS had occupied part of the city.

On Sunday, HTS issued a statement denying that it plans to monopolize power and urging rebels and local leaders to unite with it against the Assad regime.

Reports: Deadly Car Bomb in Idlib City

Activists report a deadly car bombing in Idlib city on Sunday. Dr Shajul Islam speaks from the scene:

Islam said at least 15 people were killed.