Insurgency in Idlib

In July 2015, the Islamic Front's Twitter account posted that they had clashed with an ISIL cell in Idlib.[5]

On 31 March 2016, the Army of Conquest coalition claimed to have captured members of a cell belonging to Jaysh al-Thuwar, an Arab component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Idlib that was reportedly conducting assassinations and kidnappings in the area.[6]

On 22 June 2016, the Army of Conquest's police division published a statement saying that the group's police arrested members of a cell that were helping to smuggle members of ISIL from Turkey into Idlib.[7]

On 3 August 2016, the Army of Conquest released a statement saying their security forces dismantled an ISIL cell in Idlib after 20 days of surveillance.[8]

On 4 October 2016, Ahrar al-Sham arrested an alleged ISIL cell affiliated with Jund al-Aqsa; Jund al-Aqsa later retaliated by arresting some Ahrar al-Sham members, allegedly beating the wife and shooting the brother of one member in the process. Two days later, on 6 October, Ahrar al-Sham gave an ultimatum to Jund al-Aqsa to release the captured members; Jund al-Aqsa countered by asking that Ahrar al-Sham release the captive Jund al-Aqsa members that were alleged to be a part of ISIL.[9]

On 16 June 2017, a suicide bomber attempted to assassinate Saudi cleric Abdullah al-Muhaysini, whom at the time was serving on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)'s Sharia component, after leaving a mosque in Idlib. In an online video after the attack, Muhaysini said he was uninjured and explained that an individual had approached his car wearing an explosive belt and blew themselves up.[10]

On 24 July 2017, during fighting between Ahrar al-Sham and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, car bombs were detonated in Idlib reportedly killing 50 HTS members; the car bombs reportedly belonged to Ahrar al-Sham.[11]

In February 2018, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham accused the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement of planting IEDs and assassinating HTS members in Idlib, later leading to an armed conflict between the two.

On 26 April 2018, Abu al-Ward Kafer Batikh an HTS commander and his bodyguards were killed in Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, on the same day Abu Salim Binnish, a Syrian Liberation Front (SLF) commander was also killed by gunmen in Binnish.[12][13]

On 28 April, a Free Syrian Police commander was killed by an IED in northern Idlib. Hours later pro-opposition activists reported that two members of Jaysh al-Izza were killed by unidentified gunmen in Khan Shaykhun while a commander belonging to Jaysh al-Ahrar was also killed on the same day. In response, an HTS security official accused Ahrar al-Sham of carrying out the assassinations.[14]

In May 2018, HTS claimed to have detained members of an all-female assassination cell in Idlib that were loyal to the Syrian government and were recruited by Russia.[1]

On 18 June 2018, Jaysh al-Ahrar's deputy commander was killed by gunmen in Saraqib after praying at a mosque. The group released a statement saying the assassins were unknown individuals.[15]

On 22 June, a senior HTS leader named Abu Khadija Bilal al-Khuraisat was killed by gunmen in Tarmala. On the same day Jaysh al-Ahrar and the Sham Legion arrested the leader of ISIL's Idlib Province.[16]

On 30 June, HTS raided an ISIL position in Sarmin, capturing anti-tank guided missiles. The HTS-affiliated Ebaa News Agency published photos of the captured ATGMs, as well as a flag from the defunct Liwa Dawud which pledged allegiance to ISIL in 2014.[17]

On 29 July, three SLF members were killed in Ma'arrat al-Nu'man; the group said the assassination was carried out by spies belonging to the Syrian government.[3]

In January 2019, an ISIL-linked media group called the Muhajireen Foundation, which provides reports on events that effect displaced ISIL fighters in Syria, released a statement warning displaced ISIL fighters in Idlib to avoid gatherings because of crackdowns by HTS and Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch the Guardians of Religion Organization.[18][19]

On 18 January 2019, a car bomb exploded at an HTS checkpoint in Idlib, reportedly resulting in the death of 10 HTS militants; on the same day, gunmen wounded three HTS fighters and a commander belonging to Jaysh al-Izza was killed after a bomb placed in his car by an unknown group detonated.[20]

On 29 January, a female suicide bomber HTS believed to be affiliated with ISIL attacked the headquarters of the Syrian Salvation Government; after fighting the guards outside, she blew herself up, wounding a number of people. ISIL's Amaq News Agency later denied they were involved with the attack.[21][22]

In March 2019, HTS executed several ISIL members believed to be behind drive-by shootings, assassinations, and bombings in Idlib city. HTS reportedly installed security cameras around the city to monitor the area.[23]

On 5 March 2019, HTS raided an ISIL compound in Atarib and captured an ISIL commander as well as several stockpiles of small arms, munitions, as well as bomb making materials and explosives already manufactured by ISIL. [24]

On 14 March, several ISIL members were able to escape from an HTS prison, reportedly after a series of Russian airstrikes in the area.[25]

In August 2019, the ISIL-linked Muhajireen Foundation published an infographic showing three separate HTS activities against ISIL in Idlib. The infographic announced that several individuals held by HTS were executed publicly for allegedly belonging to ISIL and carrying out bombings. The report also included a report that two individuals were arrested in Nayrab for planting IEDs on behalf of ISIL. The report also stated that HTS raided the military headquarters of the Guardians of Religion Organization and its ally Ansar al-Tawhid, which is made up of former Jund al-Aqsa elements, in a town near Jisr al-Shughur, and arrested two Egyptians from both groups for having ties to ISIL.[26][27]

On 5 August, a Tunisian Guardians of Religion Organization commander was assassinated by unknown perpetrators in Taftanaz, with some pro-opposition activists claiming the assassins were ISIL-linked. [28]

On 18 March 2020, as part of a ceasefire arrangement following a Syrian government offensive in Idlib, Turkish troops entered the de-escalation zone to reopen the M4 highway previously blocked by HTS and other jihadist factions.[29] On the same day, an Ahrar al-Sham commander was killed after a roadside bomb went off while he was driving near Jisr al-Shughur.[30]

On 19 March, two Turkish soldiers were killed and a third was wounded by an attack that the Turkish Defense Ministry claimed was carried out by unnamed radical groups.[31][32] The Guardians of Religion Organization was accused of carrying out the attack.[33][34]

On 24 March, a mine detonated while a Turkish military convoy was passing through the town of Sufahan in southern Idlib on the M4 highway resulting in two Turkish soldiers wounded.[35] On the same day unknown gunmen tried to kidnap a rebel commander of Jabhat Thuwar Saraqib in Idlib city, wounding him by gunshot.[36][37]

On 30 March, a judge affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was killed, along with another individual with him in an IED attack in Idlib.[36]

On 4 April, an Ahrar al-Sham field commander was killed by a mine in Sufahan.[38]

On April 13, protestors demonstrating against Turkish forces patrolling the M4 highway, as part of a cease-fire agreement with Russia, were broken up by Turkish military personnel. In response fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was supporting the protests opened fire on the Turkish military. After the incident the HTS fighters involved in the shootings were reprimanded by their command. This has been the first reported incident of aggressive actions between HTS and Turkish forces in Syria, however HTS has reportedly stopped Russian patrols and acted aggressively towards them since the implementation of the agreement, between Turkey and Russia regarding Idlib.[39] On the same day, following the incident between HTS and the Turkish military, HTS arrested a commander from Faylaq al-Sham, a Turkish-backed rebel group, HTS also arrested members of the National Front for Liberation which Faylaq al-Sham belongs to, the National Front for Liberation members were reportedly heading to front lines in Saraqib when they were arrested at an HTS checkpoint,[40] at a checkpoint in the town of Neyrab near Saraqib.[41][42]

On April 16, an unknown aircraft attacked a jihadist vehicle killing three rebels from Jaish al-Nasr in the al-Ghaab plain. The aircraft was supposedly a Russian drone according to Al Masdar News and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.[43][44]

On 19 April, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham attacked the headquarters of the Guardians of Religion Organization and attempted to force the group to withdraw from the town of Armanaz, following the decision of HTS to reopen trade crossings to government held areas, which was opposed by locals and the Guardians of Religion Organization. Following the incident the Guardians of Religion Organization released a statement calling HTS reckless and called on HTS to redirect its attention to fighting the Syrian government instead.[45][46]

On 26 April, Turkish forces demolished tents set by protestors during a "sit in" in Al-Karama. Protesters, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels opposed the agreement made between Turkey and Russia regarding the reopening of the M4 Highway. After clashes that left four killed including HTS members, jihadist forces attacked a Turkish outpost, leaving several Turkish soldiers wounded which were evacuated by helicopter to Turkey. [47] Turkish drones were reported targeting a car belonging to the HTS killing two fighters and leaving three wounded.[48]

On 8 May, Syrian government forces captured two members of Jaysh al-Ahrar in Idlib near the border between Syrian government-held territory and countryside frontlines with the rebels.[49]

On 21 May, a HTS leader was targeted by a Improvised explosive device planted below his vehicle, killing him instantly.[50]

On 27 May, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the death of a Turkish soldier by a explosion in the Aleppo-Latakia Highway in northwestern Idlib.[51] A convoy of Turkish military vehicles and opposition factions was targeted by a IED, Turkish helicopters evacuated the wounded to Al-Rayhaniyyah.[52]

On 29 May, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham raided the house of a former Jund al-Aqsa commander and killed him in front of his family, then disposed his body in an unknown location. On the same day a Christian civilian was kidnapped in Al-Ya’qubiya for unknown reasons by unidentitfied persons.[53]

On 5 June, two Turkish soldiers were killed by a attack on an ambulance on the Idlib-Sarmin Highway in Idlib Governorate.[54][55]

On 14 June, a drone targeted a vehicle killing two jihadists, one Jordanian and one Yemeni national, both were leaders Al-Qaeda afiliated group, Hurras Al Din. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights hinted that the attacking drone could be an American UAV.[56]

On June 15, unknown assailants targeted and killed a leader of 'Jaysh Al-Suqur' a Turkish-backed rebel group on Idlib part of the National Liberation Front . Another rebel leader was injured in the attack.[57]

On June 26, fighting between HTS and Hurras al Din took place in Kafr Rohin and Ma’artin left 19 killed in Idlib, 12 from Hurras al-Din and 7 from HTS.[58]