The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, which became widely known in the media after its members beheaded a 12-yo boy during the battle for Aleppo city, released a video statement on November 10 declaring a war on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda).
Violent clashes have been ongoing between the groups in the southwestern Aleppo countryside since November 9. According to pro-opposition sources, the fighting is now ongoing in the areas of Kfernaha, Shaykh Sulaiman, Qabtian Mountain, Qabtian al-Jabal, Parts of Anjara and Awajil.
The tensions between grops had been growing since Nour al-Din al-Zenki defected from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham earlier in 2017. The clashes will likely impact Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s ability to keep its defense lines against government forces if they attack the militants in northern Hama.
