Commanders under the “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) disapprove the terms of the Russian-Turkish agreement addressing Idlib governorate, which provided for establishing a demilitarized buffer zone between the regime-controlled areas and those held by the opposition.
Among the commanders are the sharia scholar “Abu Yaqthan al-Masri,” the Egyptian sharia scholar “Abu al-Fath al-Ferghali,” and the Iraqi commander “Abu Maria al-Qahtani,” as well as the former director of “Tahrir al-Sham’s” political office, known as Zaid al-Attar.
Through “Telegram,” “Abu al-Fath al-Ferghali” has today, Wednesday (September 19), said “that who demands surrendering his weapon, whom ever he is, is undoubtedly an enemy, for giving up on this weapon is treason to religion, upholding the word of Allah and the blood of martyrs which has been scarified to get it.”
“There is no worry about surrendering what is more important than arms, which is the areas liberated by the blood of the honest people. [. . .] The matter of concern is that the human and jinn goblins would act as to disperse the lines of Mujahideen, inspiring doubt among them and justifying submission,” he added.
For his part, Zaid al-Attar spoke of a card of power, which is arsenal. Also on “Telegram,” he said: “Our weaponry is our pride and honor, as well as the safety valve to this blessed jihad; it is rather the only guarantee to the realization of the revolution’s aims of attaining dignity and freedom, for our enemy knows no other language but force.”
Last Monday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed upon establishing a demilitarized buffer zone in Idlib governorate between the areas controlled by the Syrian regime and those held by the opposition.
The zone, 15 to 20 kilometers wide, will be supervised by both sides.
Following the announcement of the agreement, the “national Front for Liberation” welcomed the deal, and “Free Army” commanders considered it “a victory for the Syrian revolution,” as it prevented the military operations that the Assad’s forces and allied militias were planning against Idlib.
The “Tahrir al-Sham” is one of the most prominent armed factions in Northern Syria, dividing its military action into sectors. Key constituents of “HTS” are “Jaysh al-Malahim,” “Jaysh al-Sahel,” “Jaysh al-Badia,” “Saraya al-Sahel” and “Jund al-Sharaih.”
Throughout the past months, “Tahrir al-Sham” refused to dissolve itself with the rest of the factions in Idlib. However, this attitude was limited only to migrant leaders and others classified as belonging to the hard-line current. This disapproval was accompanied with talks about a rift within the Movement, for there is a part that would like to eliminate international seclusion, and another that call for fighting Turkey and the factions it backs, such as “Ahrar al-Sham” and the “Free Army.”
Yesterday, Turkey said that drones will be coordinating the joint patrols with Russia in the Idlib’s to be buffer zone.
The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkish and Russian drones will coordinate patrols in the demilitarized zone between the Syrian regime-controlled areas and those held by the opposition, in Idlib.
“The moderate opposition will stay in its place, a thing of much importance. A ceasefire will be conducted, the area will not be attacked, and accordingly there would not be provocations against other areas,” he said.