Syria: Rifts Widening among Terrorist Groups in Idlib Province

Provincial sources said differences intensified among Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa terrorist groups in the Southern countryside of Idlib after the killing of an Ahrar commander in the region.
“Ahrar al-Sham, in a statement, vowed to avenge assassination of the group’s commander by the Jund al-Aqsa rivals near Ariha,” the sources said.

“Ahrar in its statement gave only 24 hours to Jund al-Aqsa to have over those behind the killing of its commander,” they said, adding, “Ahrar al-Sham has started to abduct Jund al-Aqsa’s fighters near Ariha.”

Earlier this month, al-Tahrir Army, affiliated to the Free Syrian Army, said in a statement that one of the senior field commanders of the group and his brothers were abducted by the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in the city of Idlib.

“Mohammad Abdolhay al-Ahmadi al-Ghaabi alongside his two brothers were captured and transferred to an unknown place by al-Nusra fighters,” the group said in statement, adding, “Al-Nusra militants stormed the house of al-Ghaabi’s father, and abducted al-Ghaabi and his brothers.”

“Fierce clashes erupted between the fighters of al-Nusra and al-Tahrir Army after the abduction of the latter commander.

Al-Tahrir said also in its statement that al-Nusra has thus far abducted nearly 40 of its forces.