Iraq News
Terrorism

Tahrir al-Sham rounds up activists in rural Idlib

By Waleed Abu al-Khair in Cairo

Tahrir al-Sham elements check phones and identity documents at a checkpoint in rural Idlib province. [Photo courtesy of Haisam al-Idlibi]

Tahrir al-Sham elements check phones and identity documents at a checkpoint in rural Idlib province. [Photo courtesy of Haisam al-Idlibi]

Tahrir al-Sham elements have detained opponents of the extremist alliance -- particularly media activists -- in a number of Idlib province villages and towns, a local activist told Diyaruna.

In recent hours, Tahrir al-Sham units raided the homes of activists and opponents of the alliance in various parts of rural Idlib, its main stronghold, local activist Haisam al-Idlibi told Diyaruna.

The alliance's fighters are heavily deployed at checkpoints in the area, where they are closely checking IDs and phones in search of any published content or social media activity that opposes or criticizes Tahrir al-Sham, he said.

"Activists Ahmed Ezzo al-Sheikh Ali and Mahmoud Ahmed al-Sheikh Ali of Sarmada in northern Idlib were detained on Monday (April 2nd)," al-Idlibi said.

The pair had been critical of the alliance on social media, he said.

Tahrir al-Sham elements also detained Alaa Nizar al-Rayya of the village of Maarat Hurma in southern rural Idlib at a checkpoint, after a search of his phone revealed published content and videos critical of the alliance and its elements.

In the town of Has, a young man, Abdullah Farhat, was killed soon after his interment in the Tahrir al-Sham-affiliated al-Iqab prison, al-Idlibi said.

Tahrir al-Sham and the newly formed Syrian Liberation Front signed a truce agreement on Sunday evening, he said.

"Some violations of the truce are taking place, however, as was the case on Sunday night after Tahrir al-Sham attempted to storm the city of Darat Azza and the town of Mkalbis," he said.

"Tahrir al-Sham elements shelled Darat Azza with heavy artillery, injuring a number of civilians and causing significant damage to private property," he said.

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