2021 | 13 civilians among 45 people killed due to lax security in HTS-held areas in Idlib and surrounding villages

May 4, 2021

 

Areas controlled by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), factions and jihadists in the province of Idlib and the surrounding villages, are witnessing rampant insecurity, as it is the case across the entire Syrian geography. Such security chaos has hindered the daily activity of the civilians who have been burdened with the military operations that led to displacement, destruction, murder, and loss of properties.

 

Civilians in these areas have been always fear of unexpected explosions, attempted assassinations, kidnappings, and armed attacks.

 

However, the controlling forces in HTS and jihadists areas are not able to put an end to the escalating security chaos and proliferation of weapons, even after intensifying the security campaigns, cordons or border checkpoints.

 

Syrian Observatory activists in these areas have documented the death of 43 persons since the beginning of 2021 by bombings, shooting or kidnapping and then getting rid of much of the bodies in remote areas in Idlib and the surrounding villages or in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.

 

According to the SOHR statistics, the fatalities were categorized as follows: 16 civilians, including three females, 23 Syrian fighters affiliated to HTS, Islamic and rebel factions, four from jihadist groups of non-Syrian nationals. Dozens others have been wounded in these attacks.

 

As more fatalities were documented, the number of people who have been killed in the countryside of Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia since April 26, 2018, the start date of the security chaos to be escalated in these provinces, rose to 771. They were assassinated by bomb attacks, IED detonations, gunfire, abductions and then killing and throwing the bodies in remote areas. The fatalities were distributed as follows:

 

• A fighter in Turkistan Islamic Party

 

• The wife of an Uzbek commander and another child was with her

 

• The attorney-general of the Ministry of Justice of the Salvation Government

 

• 235 civilians, including 24 children and 24 women

 

• 450 fighters of Syrian nationality belong to Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, al-Sham Corps, the Islamic Movement of Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Izza, and other factions operating in Idlib

 

• 82 fighters of Somali, Uzbek, Asian, Gulf, Jordanian, Turkish and Caucasian nationalities.

 

Meanwhile, the assassination attempts have injured tens of people with varying severity.