Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham adds a town near the administrative border of Idlib with west of Aleppo to its control after an agreement with the town’s elders in conjunction with preparations for a new round of fighting
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham had taken control of a town in the countryside of Idlib, near the administrative border with Aleppo’s western countryside, where reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham had added Hazzano town to its control, through an agreement with the dignitaries of the town, and the agreement stated:
“On Monday, the 7th of December of 2019, corresponding to the 30th of Rabea al-Akhir of 1940 Hijri, a meeting was held between the brothers at Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and dignitaries of Hazzano village, the following points were agreed upon: the town of Hazzano follows the Rescue Government in the civil and military administration, and the other non-permanent factions of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham commit in coordination with the Council of Elders and dignitaries in the town to stand neutral and not to take up arms, except in the case they desired Ribat, in this case Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham witness to secure all their needs.”
The Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the National Liberation Front factions continue to mobilize in different areas of Idlib countryside, where these factions continue to raise barricades and fortify their positions and points on the outskirts of the towns of Maarrat al-Nu’man and its countryside, in Ariha area and its countryside, and other places in the country of Idlib, also the roads connecting to Maarrat al-Nu’man and Ariha were closed from several areas, in addition to bringing military reinforcements there, all this comes in the context of raising readiness of factions of the National Liberation Front, which warns of a new round of clashes that may erupt within the next few hours or days, between Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and the National Liberation Front, especially after the Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham controlled all areas of al-Zenki of the National Liberation in the western countryside of Aleppo, and the Syrian Observatory published Monday morning that the countryside of Idlib in general is witnessing a mobilization by the rival factions in their areas of control, where the National Liberation Front factions continue to reinforce their points and fortify them through raising barricades and bringing more fighters to the checkpoints and points, such as the outskirts of Maarat al-Nu’man, Ariha, and others, after the Syrian Observatory monitored on Sunday evening that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued preparations and alertness by the conflicting parties within both Idlib and Aleppo countryside, after Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham managed to take the control of large spaces of the western countryside of Aleppo province, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham brought reinforcements to Ariha area in the southern sector of Idlib countryside, as well as the areas of Bsonqul, Basames and Qarsaya, and reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that these reinforcements come as a part of preparations by Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham to expand its control again within Idlib province, also the Syrian Observatory monitored the factions loyal to Turkey fortifying the remaining posts and their positions and areas of presence in the western countryside of Aleppo, while the SOHR has monitored the exit of 400 fighters of Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement from the western countryside of Aleppo, where they arrived in the controlled areas of the operations “Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch” in both north-western and north-eastern countryside of Aleppo, such as Jendires and its vicinity and Afrin and its countryside, coming from the western countryside of Aleppo, after they surrendered in the fighting against Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham, while more than 100 fighters have left Atarib city (the largest area in the western countryside of Aleppo), after Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham had entered the city with large military columns today morning, Sunday the 6th of January 2019, after an agreement reached yesterday after the midnight with the factions of Thowwar Al-Sham and Bayariq Al-Sham, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published this morning, that an agreement had been reached between Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and al-Atarib factions through representatives from both parties, the agreement came after hours of violent clashes after an attack by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham to take control of the largest city west of Aleppo, the text of the agreement reached after midnight on yesterday agrees to: “dissolution of the faction of Thowwar al-Sham and Bayareq al-Islam, and keeping weapons of the battalions stationed on the front against the regime only, and that from the security and military aspect the city of Atarib follows Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, while it follows the Rescue Government in the administrative, service, and judicial aspects, and not allowing members and commanders of the Brigades of Euphrates Shield to stay in al-Atarib city, and Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham guarantees to secure members of the Thowwar al-Sham and Bayareq al-Islam and not to prosecute them, and handing over the criminal cases and prosecutions to justice.”
This agreement was met with popular discontent among people of Atarib because of the area now belongs to Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, in conjunction with information the Syrian Observatory received which confirmed that Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham started to enter the city, while the Syrian Observatory published during the past hours that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the violent clashes returned in the western sector of Aleppo countryside, after the negotiations between Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham and between representatives of the factions of Al-Atarib city failed, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; violent clashes are taking place between Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham on one hand, against Thowwar Al-Sham Battalion and Bayariq Al-Sham of the National Liberation Front on the other, in the vicinity and outskirts of Al-Atarib city, which is the largest city in the western sector of Aleppo countryside, and over which Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham is seeking to impose its control through its attack from 4 sides, after the first round of negotiations failed to reach a consensus between the negotiating parties, where Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham provides the handing over of tens of the wanted of fighters of the factions operating in Al-Atarib including citizen women, amid popular refusal against the entry of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham which clashed years ago against factions operating in Al-Atarib and the fighting at that time, resulted in the death of more than 100 fighters of Jabhat al-Nusra and its opponents in the town, the SOHR also monitored renewed fighting between Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham against factions operating under the banner of the National Liberation Front, in areas in the northern sector of Idlib countryside, where escalated clashes are concentrated in the vicinity and outskirts of the border area with Iskenderun, Atma, amid exchange of targeting between the both parties using shells and heavy machineguns.