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On February 20, clashes erupted between the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and Syria’s Liberation Front (SLF) in the western Aleppo countryside and the southern Idlib countryside, according to local sources.
Sources close to HTS said that the SLF had provoked the clashes attacking several positions and headquarters of HTS in western Aleppo .
The Ahrar al-Sham Movement and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement merged to form the SLF on February 19. They announced that the new group will stand against anyone who works against “the revolution’s forces”, in a clear hint to HTS.
The clashes expanded on February 21 and included most of the areas of Idlib governorate. Heavy weapons including battle tanks and rocket launchers were used by the both sides, according to Syrian opposition activists.
The SLF was indeed able to capture the town of Maarrat al-Nu’man in southern Idlib and the villages of Tramla, Kafr Rumah and Wadi Deif area around it. The strategic town of Ariha in western Idlib was also captured by the SLF, according to Syrian opposition sources.
However, the HTS-linked news agency Iba’a reported that HTS fighters had advanced in western Aleppo and captured the villages of Taked, A’ajel, Bsrton and the al-Furqan housing complex.
According to Iba’a, two HTS fighters were killed and four others were injured during the clashes with the SLF in southern idlib. The agency claimed that in western Aleppo, the SLF had lost many of its fighters and 20 SLF members had surrendered to HTS.
Experts believe that HTS is currently focusing on attacking the heartland of the SLF, the western Aleppo countryside, and is withdrawing its troops from the southern idlib countryside that’s besieged by it. After capturing the western Aleppo countryside, HTS will likely launch n operation against the SLF in the southern Idlib countryside.
HTS won all the military confrontations with the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement between 2015 and 2017, mainly because of a large support it has in northern Syria.
Interesting. Which power could make an alliance between the #2 and #3 terrorist group. Turkey? But why?
Because they control these proxys better than HTS.
Believe it or not I doubt it is Turkey, especially turning on the HTS … so if I am right, who have we got left…………?
The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement (Arabic: حركة نور الدين الزنكي Ḥaraka Nūr ad-Dīn az-Zankī) was a Sunni Islamist rebel group involved in the Syrian Civil War. Between 2014 and 2015, it was part of the Syrian Revolutionary Command Council and recipient of U.S.-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles.[20] In 2014, it was reportedly one of the most influential factions in Aleppo.[21] On 18 February 2018, the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement merged with Ahrar al-Sham to form the Syrian Liberation Front.
SO THE OBVIOUS ONE IS THE US…..(so US terrorist against Turkish terrorist (HTS))
Ahrar al Sham has built relationships with a wide array of opposition forces. It has cooperated tactically on the battlefield with the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). But it has also fought alongside the Jabhat Fateh al Sham, which has strong links to al Qaeda.
The group has been the main driver behind building loose coalitions among Islamist rebels. It co-founded the Syrian Islamist Front (SIF) in December 2012 and the Islamic Front (IF) in November 2013. The SIF was replaced by the larger IF.
For me, again THE OBVIOUS ONE IS THE US…..
But I don’t know, it could be the Saudis, Qataris, UAE, Jordon or even if you hink about it on the flip side Syria.
Sorry, just waffling on.
Both Harakats are Pentagon backed forces in the region of Syria either Phalangists, Algerians ,Libyans and Hamas groups.
Suggest read this prior South Front report:
https://southfront.org/ahrar-al-sham-and-nour-al-din-al-zenki-merge-to-form-new-armed-group-in-northern-syria/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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yes good news!!!
who is this SLF?
The Ahrar al-Sham Movement and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement merged to form the SLF on February 19.
Thanks! Just another rat group to kill lmao
another 3 lettered acronym….mmm, where have I heard those before ?.
Jabhat Tahrir Souriya or Syrian Levant front, both are Harakat groups which were backed by the Pentagon and definitely not the Turks.
This article doesn’t mention that the 2 groups that merged Ahrar al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki are both sponsored by Turkey and the omission of this fact in this article astounds me. The Turks are moving troops into Idlib province to set up observation posts and supposedly enforce de escalation zones that were pre arranged by them and Russia. But all the observation posts are smack in between the SAA and these 2 newly merged groups, which means the SAA wont be able to attack them without first hitting the Turks. BTW these 2 groups should be well known for some of the atrocities they’ve committed and posted online, slicing little kids heads off, trampling the dead bodies of women, eating the livers of dead SAA soldiers amongst others. Turkey is putting together another proxy army to fight against the SAA which it hopes will be immune to Russian attacks because of it’s own involvement. It’s also letting groups like HTS know they’re not welcome in Idlib if they’re trying to fight under another banner and probably hoping a large number of their members will switch to the newly formed SLF, which will probably happen. Erdogan has stabbed Putin in the back and South front seems to be the last place you’ll find out about it.
Thanks for the info. If SLF and HTS want to fight it out, seems like a win-win, as long as SLF does not get the upper hand. Appears that the SAA was satisfied with the current front line in Idlib after taking the eastern section (quite an accomplishment). And are now focused on E Ghota, this pocket has been around way to long and has tied down a large number of SAA forces.
These squabbles were relevant in January, when the moderates were so divided that the Tigers&friends were rolling across Idlib and Aleppo with little opposition, liberating several villages per day and putting their sights on Idlib city itself. Reunifying Syria for real wouldn’t do of course, so eyes were taken off balls and momentum was lost once again (yes I know about the ISIS/HTS pocket threatening the flank of the loyalist offensive). By now, this is all happening under the umbrella of Turkish observation posts, so it’s mostly moderate folklore that can go on for a long time; the best one can hope for is that they don’t get their act together enough to seriously threaten what’s still left of Syria.