Tahrir al-Sham in its death throes
Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist group being caged in Syria’s northern
town of Idlib, is reportedly in its death throes. Confirming reports about its
dilemma, Rabie
Shalabi, a researcher interested in Islamic movements, said that the terrorist
group had realized that the noose was being tightened around its neck.
Shalabi
told the Reference that Tahrir al-Sham must have realized that its days were
numbered after Ankara decided to abandon
it. The researcher also described the
Russian-Turkish deal in Idlib as the last straw. “Moscow is also determined to
deal a devastating blow to Tahrir al-Sham to force it to leave the area,” he
added.
According
to Shalabi, Idelib is viewed by all rebel factions there as a strategic
strongholds. “Therefore, Tahrir al-Sham and other terrorist groups will
continue manouevering to stay longer in the area,” Shalabi noted.
A deal
brokered by Russia and Turkey to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib has temporarily helped rebel factions including
Tahrir al-Sham to avoid a full-scale Syrian army offensive.
Frustrated about its survival, Tahrir al-Sham has launched desperate
terrorist attacks on civilians around. According to SANA, the rebel group
yesterday attacked a small village in Idlib, killing two children and a woman.
SANA also reported that Tahrir al-Sham was engaged in a heavy fighting early on
Friday with a rebel group named National Liberation Front. The battle came
after the village of Zerdna witnessed heavy fighting between Tahrir al-Sham and
the Free Army. The spokesman of Tahrir al-Sham supported reports, which
disclosed that the rebel group planned the attack on the village to kidnap
people allegedly loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Tahrir
al-Sham’s spokesman said the abductees were enthusiastic to reconciliation in
the area.
However, an agreement signed by Tahrir al-Sham and the local municipality in
the village will help the release of the abductees on condition that they
should move to live somewhere else.
