Tension and continued fighting dominate the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo within the war on Fateh al-Sham Front

Tension is still the master of situation in the western countryside of Aleppo and the rest of the Syrian areas between Fateh al-Sham Front against the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham and other factions, where violent clashes continue between Soqur al-Sham brigades against Fateh al-Sham Front in the areas of Ihsem and Dana in Jabal al-Zawiyah, amid exchange of vehicles targeting between both parties, while the Syrian Observatory for human rights was aware that Fateh al-Sham Front have increased the number of their checkpoints in Rif al-Mohandesin The Second west of Aleppo, and demanded the factions there to evacuate their headquarters, and in a related context, the factions in the town of Atareb in the western countryside of Aleppo have formed “an emergency civil force” that people from Atareb town under the supervision of the Revolutionary Council in the town, in order  to work on supporting the resolutions of the Revolutionary Council and the Sharia Court, and to maintain the security in al-Atareb and to protect it, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the vicinity of Maarrat al-Nu’man area is witnessing tensions and trooping and cutting of the road leading to the area in the north of Maarrat al-Nu’man city in southern countryside of Idlib, while a boy under the age of 18 was killed and three others were wounded when they were shot during their gathering at Halazon village in the western countryside of Aleppo, which witnessed raids, inspections and arrests by Fateh al-Sham Front, while a part of the convoy which passed al-Lataminah to Halfaya in the northern countryside of Hama have headed north again, but no information yet about the exact destination of the convoy.

Also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that that the factions of Soqur al-Sham, al-Mujahidin Army, Fastaqim Kama Umirt, al-Islam Army in Idlib and the Levant Front in western Aleppo, joined Ahrar al-Sham Islamic faction against Fateh al-Sham Front, the Islamic movement announced that any assault against the movement members is like announcing a fight against the whole movement and the movement will fight it. and it declared that the movement is committed to keep the rights for all the factions that joined the movement recently and the matters will be given to Sharia judge.

the Observatory also publish yesterday that tensions are still taking place accompanied by violent clashes between Soqur al-Sham Brigades against Fateh al-Sham Front in the vicinity of the central prison of Idlib on the outskirts of Idlib city, after continuous attack by Fatah al-Sham since Wednesday afternoon the 25th of January 2017, amid the sound of explosions in the clash area, the sources said they were the sounds of heavy weapons used in the clashes, information reported that Fateh al-Sham Front was able to release prisoners from the central prison, while Fateh al-Sham Front said that it will allow Soqur al-Sham to withdraw from the central prison without detaining any one of them provided that the prison will be handed over completely to the management of Jaish al-Fateh, also reliable sources reported to the Syrian Observatory for human rights that Fateh al-Sham Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra formerly) have surrounded Hayan town in the northern countryside of Aleppo, in which the factions of al-Sham Corps and Levant Front reside, in an attempt to storm it and control it after controlling in the past 24 hours on  Anadan, Kafr Hamra, Khan al-Asal, Huraytan, Kafrnaha and Urem al-Kubra in the western, northwestern and northern countryside of Aleppo, while the residents of Saraqeb town in the eastern countryside of Idlib have started sit ins in the night on public roads passing through the town, to cut the road in front of the convoys of Fateh al-Sham front which are heading to participate in the fighting between the major factions, while the bodies of two leaders of al-Sham Corps were found, they were killed when they were in the area near Anadan town, also SOHR received information about the release of Fatah al-Sham for the commander of Jaysh al-Mujahideen in the coast after being arrested in the western countryside of Jisr al-Shughur.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that the fighting renewed between between the factions in the countryside of Idlib, which clashes are taking place between Fateh al-Sham Front against the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham in Ihsem area at Jabal al-Zawiyah in the southern countryside of Idlib, in an attempt by Fateh al-Sham Front to storm the village, also gunfire were heard in the vicinity of Idlib city near its central prison, sources said they were caused by clashes between both parties in the vicinity of the prison.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that the tension is increasingly prevailing the fronts of the fight between the major factions in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo and in the administrative border between both provinces, several reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the tension is still taking place with relatively quieter clashes in the clash fronts, in an attempt by mediator parties to reach a solution to stop the fighting between the rebel and Islamic factions against Fateh al-Sham Front (al-Nusra Front formerly), having the factions managed to expel Fatah al-Sham from their headquarters in the villages and towns of Jabal al-Zawiyah and Maarrat al-Nu’man and other areas in the countryside of Idlib, in addition to Fateh al-Sham Front’s control of Anadan, Kafr Hamra, Khan al-Asal, Huraytan, Kafrnaha and Urem al-Kubra in the western, northwestern and northern countryside of Aleppo. The clashes between Fateh al-Sham Front against Soqur al-Sham brigades, the Islamic movement of Ahrar al- Sham, Jaysh al-Mujahideen, the Levant Front and other allied factions have killed at least 7 fighters of Fateh al-Sham Front -including a local commander- and also caused more casualties in the ranks of both parties, in addition to the death and injury of 5 civilians -most of them are children and citizen women- due to the clashes and shelling exchange between them, while tens of arrests and capture operation took place between both parties.

This tension coincided with a statement issued by the Security Force of Jaish al-Fateh in Idlib, which includes most of the factions that fight each other in the fighting, in the statement they stressed that: “areas Jaish al-Fateh are avoided of internal fight which is taking place between the factions, and the prevent of passing of any convoy of any faction to Jaish al-Fateh areas, and all checkpoints located in Jaish al-Fateh areas should raise the readiness and full alert to deal with any urgent matter”, where they stamped the paper with the seals of the representatives of Fatah al-Sham, Soqur al-Sham, al-Haq brigade, al-Sham Corps, Ajnad al-Sham, Jaysh al-Sunna and Ahrar al-Sham, where the citizens are feeling wonderment of this contradiction, as the factions which signed the statement are the same factions that are fighting in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights publish yesterday night that the fighting escalated between the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham, Soqur al-Sham Brigades and other factions allied with them against Fateh al-Sham Front, these clashes which was expanded to many areas in the countryside of Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo and the administrative border between both provinces, after 3 years of similar military operation which was conducted against the “Islamic State” organization by the Union of Factions formed early 2014. Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian observatory for human rights that Ahrar al-Sham and Soqur al-Sham attacked the city of Maarrat al-Nu’man and managed to expel Fateh al-Sham Front from their headquarters in the city, located south of Idlib province, also clashes are taking place between both parties in the vicinity of the city, where the most important headquarters of the Fatah al-Sham exist, also clashes are taking place in al-Hamdiyyeh area near Maarrat al-Nu’man, and confirmed information about the death of several fighters of both parties, also clashes took place between Soqur al-Sham against Fatah al-Sham in Mra’eian and Ihsem villages during of which Soqur al-Sham managed to control both villages, also a fighter of Fateh al-Sham Front was killed in these clashes, clashes also are taking place in Jabal al-Zawiyah between Ahrar al-Sham and Soqur al-Sham against Fatah al-Sham (Jabhat Al-Nusra earlier) in Jabal al-Zawiyah, in an attempt to expel Fateh al-Sham Front of Jabal al- Zawiyah in the southern countryside of Idlib.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had published hours ago that the sounds of clashes were heard in the area between the Batbo junction and Hazano on the administrative border between the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib, as a result of the fighting between Jaysh al-Mujahideen against Fateh al-Sham Front, where the road was closed to prevent the civilians from passing to the clash areas, while residents in Maarrat Misrin area in the countryside of Idlib have blocked the road leading to the western countryside of Aleppo and the administrative border with Idlib; to prevent the convoys of Fateh al-Sham Front from passing towards the area and widening the scale of clashes between both of them, amid an angry demonstration by residents of Killi town which is near the clash areas, where the demonstrators called for the necessity to stop the fighting between both parties, also local sources informed the activists of the Syrian Observatory for human rights that clashes took place on the outskirts of Kafr Nabl due to the mutual arrests between the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham and Fateh al-Sham Front in the area, while the Faction of Soqur al-Sham brigades expelled Fateh al-Sham Front from all their headquartered in Benin and left them one checkpoint on the outskirts of the village located in the northwest of Maarrat al-Nu’man in the southern countryside of Idlib, also Fateh al-Sham Front were expelled from the village of Hantutin in the northwest of Maarrat al-Nu’man and from positions near the northern outskirts used to be controlled by Fatah al-Sham by Faction of Soqur al-Sham brigades as well, also the last mentioned controlled with Ahrar al-Sham the town of Ihsim in the countryside of Idlib, after controlling sites and headquarters of Fatah al-Sham in the town.

Also many reliable sources confirmed that the attack (which took place this morning by Fateh al-Sham Front on al-Halazon area near Batbo area the weight center of Jaysh al-Mujahideen) was accompanied by cutting the telecommunication by Fateh al-Sham Front, also SOHR received confirmed information about the death of 5 persons of the same family -most of them are children and citizen women- in the fall of a shell as a result of the ongoing clashes in al-Halazon village between Jaysh al-Mujahideen against Fatah al-Sham, also an exchange of arrests took place between Jaysh al-Mujahideen and Fateh al-Sham Front in Marshourin in the eastern countryside of Maarrat al-Nu’man, amid the control of Fatah al-Sham on Anadan, Kafr Hamra, Khan al-Asal, Huraytan, Kafrnaha and Urem al-Kubra in the western, northwestern and northern countryside of Aleppo, after their attack on the headquarters of al-Shamiyyah Front (Levant Front) there, while the people of towns and villages of Babkeh, Kafrnuran, Kafr Halab and al-Jinah called that their villages and towns should be away of fighting which is taking place between the major factions in Aleppo and Idlib.

It should be noted that Jaysh al-Mujahideen was formed in early January 2014 by the union of “Nur al-Din Al-Zenki Brigades, al-Ansar Brigades, Fastaqim Kama Umirt Union, The Islamic Hurriyyah Brigade, Amjad al-Islam Brigade, Ansar al-Khelafah Brigade, The Islamic Movement of al-Nur, Jund al-Haramain Brigade, and other factions” to fight the “Islamic State” organization in Aleppo, Idlib and other areas in Syria, also these clashes came after three years of similar attack that took place in Aleppo, Latakia and Idlib by Jaysh al-Mujahideen and other factions against the “Islamic State” organization, which ended with the expelling of the organization out of the provinces of Idlib and Latakia and the northern countryside of Hama and Aleppo city and other parts of Aleppo province, and the northern countryside of Hama and several other areas of Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published today morning that Fateh al-Sham front attacked al-Mujahidin army camp in Marshourin area in the eastern countryside of Maarrat al-No’aman, the sources confirmed that the camp was empty, the people of Marshourin town announced a statement declaring that any rebel group enter the town will be targeted, the town of al-Halazon near western Aleppo witnessed massive attack by Fateh al-Sham on al-Mujahidin army HQs amid attacking Anadan town, dissatisfaction is taking over civilians of the area due to the fight.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights publish shortly before midnight yesterday that a state of tension in the eastern countryside of Idlib and in the outskirts of the western countryside of Aleppo, after receiving information about trooping by Fateh al-Sham Front to fight Jaysh al-Mujahideen in the western countryside of Aleppo, in conjunction with tensions and trooping in the far northern countryside of Hama between the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham and the organization of Jund al-Aqsa, amid fears of the outbreak of clashes between them again after handing over the prisoners of each party to the other, after a mediation by Fateh al-Sham Front which absolved Jund al-Aqsa of their “swear of allegiance”. Fateh al-Sham Front announced in a statement that “Jund al-Aqsa’s swear of allegiance is organizationally absolved but the Islam-Bond stand still”, Fatah al-Sham attributed the reasons of that to the non-compliance of Jund al-Aqsa to the orders “Based on the hear-and-obey” and because they had information from fighters of Jund al-Aqsa that they did not to accept the “swear of allegiance” and that their “Emir have sworn the allegiance by his own will and the will of who wanted to of Jund al-Aqsa members and without consensus”.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also received a copy of an agreement between the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham and Fath al-Sham Front back in the first third of November 2016 concerning the organization of Jund al-Aqsa, which announced its “swear of allegiance” to Fath al-Sham Front after 4 days of the outbreak of clashes between Jund al-Aqsa “formerly” and Ahrar al-Sham, in several villages and towns and areas in the countryside of Idlib, the agreement stated that immediate and direct hold of fire should take place, opening the closed roads, and within 24 hours releasing the detainees with all their belongings except those who have a case of “connecting to the State’s persons (Khawarij) “, then they shall be referred to a judicial committee of 4 judges, 2 of Ahrar al-Sham and their supporting factions, and 2 from Fath al-Sham Front, so they consider the claims of killing and connecting to “Islamic State” or others, and this committee meet within 48 hours, with each party’s commitment to bring those wanted by the judiciary Committee, the agreement also stated that “swear of allegiance of Jund al-Aqsa to Fath al-Sham Front “is considered also the dissolve of the” entity of Jund al-Aqsa “and its integration with Fatah al-Sham Front, and this is what leads to prevent the re-formation of Jund al-Aqsa once again in the future, and that the situation at Sermin city to return to also it used to be before the fighting, with Fath al-Sham Front manages all checkpoints of Jund al-Aqsa in it, and other areas are subject to this agreement, and the gathered forces should withdraw when the judiciary committee requests that and announces the start of the procedures in earnest.