A fighter from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the Attma border camp in Idlib’s countryside, January 2017 (Sham Network)
The Maghawir al-Islam Regiment announced that it had left from the Al-Sham Corps and joined Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda; HTS).
The Maghawir al-Islam Regiment is one of the Turkish-backed Free Army (FSA) groups operating in the Operation Euphrates Shield area in northern Aleppo. The Maghawir al-Islam Regiment confirmed in its statement that it will follow the leadership of Abu Jaber al-Sheikh, leader of the HTS.
According to one of the security commanders of the Al-Sham Corps, Abu Hasan, the Maghawir al-Islam Regiment was carrying out acts of theft and smuggling of materials and people in its areas in the northern Aleppo countryside.
The Al-Sham Corps also received complaints about the kidnapping of civilians for ransoms by a group of Maghawir al-Islam Regiment led by Captain Rami Qoga.
The Maghawir al-Islam Regiment attacked the headquarters of the Al-Sham Corps after its leader, Ahmed Zaher, announced that the group joined HTS.
The Maghawir al-Islam Regiment captured several headquarters in addition to capturing several fighters from the Al-Sham Corps and a large number of weapons. The group raised HTS flags in the catured areas.
This is the first appearance of HTS in the Euphrates Shield-held areas in Northern Aleppo.
Last month, HTS launched a campaign of arrests against fighters of Euphrates Shield forces in the province of Idlib, and described Euphrates Shield fighters as infidels.
