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Powerful Islamist Group Intensifies Crackdown on Jihadists in Syria's Idlib

Sirwan Kajjo

   WASHINGTON - A powerful Islamist militant group in the northwestern
   Syrian province of Idlib has launched a military campaign against rival
   jihadist groups, local news reports and rights groups said Sunday.
   Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in Idlib, the last major
   rebel stronghold in Syria, on Sunday began targeting villages in the
   western part of Idlib where jihadists have significant presence,
   according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
   The Syrian Observatory, which monitors war developments in the country,
   said HTS fighters raided the village of Arab Saeed in Idlib, arresting
   several jihadist militants, including a leader with the Hurras al-Din
   group.
   Hurras al-Din is one of several jihadist factions that have been
   operating in northwestern Syria. The group is al-Qaida's main affiliate
   in the war-torn country.
   Before formally severing ties with the global jihadist group in 2016,
   HTS was regarded as the Syrian branch of al-Qaida. At the time, it was
   known as the al-Nusra Front.
   The crackdown comes nearly two weeks after several jihadist groups,
   including Hurras al-Din, announced the formation of a joint operations
   room to coordinate efforts in the fight against Syrian government
   troops and allied forces.
   A local administration in Idlib backed by the HTS issued a statement
   Sunday, saying no armed groups are allowed to operate in the city of
   Idlib, except for those affiliated with the HTS.
   Neutralizing extremists
   The Syrian Observatory said the fighting Sunday between HTS and Hurras
   al-Din forced the latter to agree to a cease-fire that required the
   jihadist group to evacuate its headquarters and withdraw from certain
   parts of Idlib.
   Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, charges that the
   ongoing crackdown by HTS against other extremist groups in the restive
   province has been approved by the Turkish military.

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