ALEPPO, Syria — Since early February, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has stepped up its crackdown in opposition to Arab and international jihadis against it in its areas of management in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib. The marketing campaign comes as a part of HTS’ efforts to limit and monitor their actions and preserve them below the surveillance of its safety equipment.
The marketing campaign in opposition to international fighters has angered many jihadis, who accuse HTS of being ungrateful.
In early February, HTS issued a warning to a number of international jihadis and family of jihadis detained in HTS prisons to vacate the homes the place they stay with their households in Idlib. In response to its opponents, HTS is refusing to resume the lease for the residents of those homes in a bid to expel them from Idlib metropolis towards smaller villages within the Idlib countryside.
A jihadi supply opposed to HTS in Idlib instructed Al-Monitor, “HTS has begun implementing a plan to expel Arab and international fighters against it from their properties in Idlib, foiling all mediation efforts and ignoring the plight of Syrians.”
The supply added, “In early February, one of many leaders of HTS’ safety equipment, Abu Muhjen al-Haskawi, despatched warnings to a number of international fighters to vacate their homes in Idlib. Amongst these fighters was Abu Muadh al-Tunisi, a married man with a household, who was paralyzed in the course of the battle in opposition to the Syrian regime forces within the metropolis of Jisr al-Shughur in 2015.”
“Abu Laith al-Tunisi, who additionally has a household and youngsters, can’t work both as a result of he turned paraplegic after he was injured within the battles in opposition to the regime forces within the northern countryside of Latakia in 2016. These two jihadis are unable to work and discover new properties for his or her households,” the supply mentioned.
The supply questioned if the households of international fighters who fought alongside HTS in earlier battles could be expelled from Idlib, as he addressed HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Golani, saying, “Is that this the way you repay us for our good deeds? With betrayal and infidelity?”
The supply identified that “HTS and its affiliated Salvation Authorities in Idlib insist on expelling international fighters from their properties in Idlib, they usually reject any supply to resume their housing contracts, though a few of them supplied to pay giant sums to resume housing contracts.”
He added, “HTS officers declare that evacuating the homes goals at defending civilians and protecting jihadis away from giant residential areas and pushing them towards small villages in order that their presence doesn’t hurt folks. These are slanderous and flimsy justifications. HTS desires to tighten the noose on international fighters and push them to depart Idlib for good.”
Abu al-Alaa al-Shami, a jihadi who defected from HTS, mentioned on Telegram, “Golani has certainly expelled the jihadi international fighters from Idlib. Golani has achieved it regardless of all of the pink strains. He has achieved it after the international fighters gave all the things to help Syrians. These will not be accusations, leaks or guesses. That is the truth in Idlib now. Golani is pushing for expelling the international fighters from Idlib, as their time is up, in line with his males and himself. Orders got to complete them steadily and calmly, step-by-step.”
For the reason that starting of 2022, HTS’ Salvation Authorities has began making ready to difficulty private playing cards to Idlib’s folks, and it’s planning to cooperate with the safety equipment to difficulty private playing cards. Holding a private card can be a obligatory situation for finishing any transaction or acquiring any public service, together with crossing HTS’ safety checkpoints.
If the Salvation Authorities succeeds in obliging the folks in Idlib to acquire private playing cards, it and the HTS may have a large database in regards to the folks in Idlib, particularly jihadis, akin to their positions, their residences and different particulars. Nonetheless, international fighters are not looking for private playing cards as a result of they merely don’t need to reveal their actual names and household names to keep away from hazard. However their refusal to acquire private playing cards means depriving their kids of training in colleges, concluding a home rental contract, or submitting a judicial grievance and different providers that can require a private card detailing all the information, the actual title, and the title of the daddy and mom. The international fighters will then be in hassle.
A supply near the HTS instructed Al-Monitor on situation of anonymity, “Throughout the coming interval, international fighters won’t be able to maneuver round with out their private identification card, which is able to embrace a private photograph and all their knowledge. By refusing to have a card, they are going to be disadvantaged of public providers. They are going to be pressured to keep away from shifting round, and they’ll resort to residing in distant villages and the countryside with restricted sources of earnings, out of HTS’ sight.”
The supply added that “the plan to difficulty identification playing cards is not going to solely embrace international fighters opposing the HTS but in addition those that work in its ranks. There’s a plan to present the jihadi migrants in Idlib two choices: both combine into the local people and stay in Idlib to the satisfaction of the HTS, or go away Idlib completely.”
Evidently the HTS is planning to stifle international fighters by way of its strict safety insurance policies, because it nearly shut down all their technique of livelihood. Most of them may have two choices: both make an apology from the HTS and work below its umbrella, or be homeless in Idlib. That is precisely what is going on since they’re having hassle discovering a home or job. No one in Idlib dares make use of them.
