Iraq News

Tahrir al-Sham seizes control of Syria's Idlib

Extremist alliance Tahrir al-Sham took control of the northern Syrian city of Idlib on Sunday (July 23rd) two days after agreeing to end fighting with a rival group, AFP reported.

"Ahrar al-Sham withdrew from the city of Idlib which is now under the control of Tahrir al-Sham," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Last week saw fierce clashes between Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham across much of Idlib province, including at the key Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, before a truce was announced late Friday.

Hundreds of Ahrar al-Sham fighters "left the city aboard dozens of vehicles heading towards southern Idlib province", Abdel Rahman said.

Tahrir al-Sham set up checkpoints across the north-western city, he said.

The fall of the city and provincial capital to the extremist alliance comes after the Observatory said they captured "more than 31 towns and villages" across the province over the past two days.

The bloodless takeover of the towns and villages came after Friday's truce announcement.

A car bomb exploded in Idlib on Sunday killing 11 people, the Observatory said.

Abdel Rahman said the presence of Ahrar al-Sham has been greatly diminished in Idlib province, which they once dominated. The group’s fighters were left only in Ariha town and part of Jabal al-Zawiya in the south-east.

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