‘REBEL CIVIL WAR’ IS JOINT PLAN OF AHRAR AL-SHAM AND JABHAT FATAH AL-SHAM TO ABSORB SMALLER GROUPS IN IDLIB?

Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and Ahrar al-Sham continued to clash in the province of Idlib.

Recently, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham seized the prison in the city of Idlib and 2 check points belonging to Ahrar al-Sham and its allies. An intense fighting was also reported in Ariha.

As a result, Suqur al-Sham, an Idlib branch of Jaish al-Islam, Jaish al-Mujahideen, Fastaqem Union and Sham Front were defeated by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and their vestiges merged with Ahrar al-Sham.

This fact already created jitters among various “pro-opposition activists”. They argued that the ongoing ‘rebel civil war’ was a joint plan of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham to absorb smaller groups operating in Idlib and western Aleppo.

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