The Idlib Governorate clashes (July 2017) were a series of military confrontations between
Ahrar al-Sham and
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
(HTS). During the clashes, Tahrir al-Sham attempted to capture the
Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing, causing concern for
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, which prefers Ahrar al-Sham to be in control of the crossing. As a result of the clashes, HTS took control of Idlib city, the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing, and most of the areas along the Turkish border in the Idlib Province.
Background
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the fighting began when HTS fired on demonstrators throughout the
Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...
who carried the
1932 French Mandate flag, recently adopted by Ahrar al-Sham in addition to its original
white Islamic flag. HTS, which embraces the
Black Standard
The Black Banner or Black Standard ( ar, الراية السوداء, ar-rāyat as-sawdāʾ, also known as (, "banner of the eagle" or simply as , , "the banner") is one of the flags flown by the Islamic prophet Muhammad according to Muslim tr ...
, opposes the use of the tricolour flag. The two rivals accused each other of provoking this round of fighting in
Iblin.
The clashes
Prior to the major breakout of fighting, on 14 July, clashes occurred between Ahrar al-Sham and
Suqour al-Sham
The Suqour al-Sham Brigades ( ar, أَلْوِيَةُ صُقُورِ الشَّامِ, ʾAlwiyat Ṣuqūr aš-Šām, en, Hawks of the Levant Brigades), also known as the Sham Falcons Brigades, is an armed rebel organisation formed by Ahmed Abu ...
against Tahrir al-Sham in multiple locations in the Idlib Governorate, including
Saraqib
Saraqib ( ar, سَرَاقِب, Sarāqib also spelled Saraqeb) is a city in northwestern Syria, administratively belonging to the Idlib Governorate, located east of Idlib. During the course of the Syrian Civil War, the city fell into rebel forces ...
and
Jabal Zawiya
Mount Zāwiya ( ar, جبل الزاوية, Jabal az-Zāwiyah) or Mount Rīḥā ( ar, جبل ريحا, Jabal Rīḥā) (also in medieval times: Banī-ʻUlaym Mountain ( ar, جبل بني عليم, Jabal Banī-ʻUlaym) is a highland region in Idli ...
.
[
On 19 July, forces of Tahrir al-Sham took hold of the town of ]Salqin
Salqin ( ar, سَلْقِين, Salqīn) is a town in Syria, administratively part of Idlib Governorate. Nearby localities include Kafr Takharim to the southeast, Abu Talha to the south, Delbiya to the southwest, al-Alani to the northwest and Is ...
, later in the day capturing Al-Dana and Saraqib
Saraqib ( ar, سَرَاقِب, Sarāqib also spelled Saraqeb) is a city in northwestern Syria, administratively belonging to the Idlib Governorate, located east of Idlib. During the course of the Syrian Civil War, the city fell into rebel forces ...
. On 20 July, Tahrir al-Sham captured the border town of Atme
Atme ( ar, اطمه, ‘Aṭma, also spelled Atma, Atima, Atmeh) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located north of Idlib and just east of the border with Turkey. It lies southeast of Deir Ballut, south ...
from Ahrar al-Sham. Following the capture of Atme, Tahrir al-Sham attempted to capture the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing in its campaign to cut off Ahrar al-Sham from Turkey. On 21 July, a convoy of forces from the Sham Legion and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, which left Tahrir al-Sham the previous day, headed to Darat Izza
Darat Izza ( ar, دارة عزة, also spelled Darat Aza or Darit Izza) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Aleppo Governorate, located northwest of Aleppo. Nearby localities include Deir Samaan to the north, Anadan to t ...
near frontlines between Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham. However, before reaching the frontlines, the convoy was intercepted by Tahrir al-Sham, and was forced to withdraw. On the same day, a cease-fire agreement was reached between Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham, which involved the withdrawal of Ahrar al-Sham from the Bab al-Hawa border crossing and its control handed over to a civil council. Soon after, Tahrir al-Sham forces entered the towns of Maarrat Misrin
Ma'arrat Misrin ( ar, مَعَرَّةُ مِصْرِينَ, Maʿarrat Miṣrīn, also spelled Ma'arrat Masrin or Ma'aret Masreen) is a small city in northwestern Syria, administratively part of Idlib Governorate. Ma'arrat Misrin lies an elevation ...
and Ram Hamdan, after Ahrar al-Sham withdrew without fighting.
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and Turkey considered intervening to bring peace to the region.
On 22 July, HTS captured the remaining parts of Idlib city not already under their control, with Ahrar evacuating the city, heading towards the southern parts of Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...
; on the next day, both sides agreed to renew the ceasefire. Nevertheless, HTS and Turkistan Islamic Party
The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) or the Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM), formerly known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other names, is a Uyghur Islamic extremist organization founded in Western China. Its stated goals ar ...
fighters also evicted Ahrar al-Sham from the Khirbat al-Joz border crossing and clashed with it in Jisr al-Shughur
Jisr ash-Shughūr ( ar, جِسْرُ ٱلشُّغُورِ, jisr aš-šuġūr, , also rendered as ''Jisser ash-Shughour'' and other spellings), known in antiquity as Seleucobelus ( el, Σελευκόβηλος, translit=Seleukóbēlos), is a city in ...
's western countryside. A car bomb explosion in Idlib city also killed between 13 and 52 people, including up to 50 HTS members and 2 civilians.
References
{{Syrian Civil War
Idlib Governorate in the Syrian civil war
July 2017 events in Syria
Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2017
Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Tahrir al-Sham
Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Ahrar al-Sham
Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Free Syrian Army
Conflicts in 2017