Tahrir al-Sham’s defector Abu Saleh al-Hamwi said on “Telegram” that “the one who planned and executed the operation that targeted Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the caliph of ‘ISIS, is an armed group belonging to Tahrir al-Sham sent from Idlib to northern Syria”. He added, “Al-Zubair Al-Hamwi is the leader responsible for sending groups of Tahrir Al-Sham to Daraa to cooperate with the Russians against ISIS.”
Al-Hamwi spoke of the involvement of a number of former commanders and security personnel in Tahrir al-Sham in the ranks of the Fifth Corps and Russian-backed reconciliation formations, including Ammar al-Nabot, who worked in the ranks of the Corps on an official mission from Tahrir al-Sham, and was killed by detonating an explosive device in front of his house a few months ago.
A group of Salafis recalled important milestones in the direct and indirect relationship and coordination between the Syrian regime and Tahrir al-Sham in recent years, the most important of which was the operation for the exit of Tahrir al-Sham’s groups from Daraa, passing through areas of the regime and under its protection in the year 2018, and among the terms of the agreement at the time was that the Eastern groups would be stationed affiliated with Tahrir al-Sham in the desert areas of Hama, which are under the control of the regime’s forces, with the aim of engaging them in the fight against ISIS.
The Salafis ridiculed Tahrir al-Sham’s statement of denial, and the leader of the Jihad Coordinating Committee, Abu al-Abed Ashadaa, demanded that the case be presented to neutral sheikhs for judgment. He said on “Telegram”: “Regarding the proven coordination between Tahrir al-Sham and the regime, their visit to Daraa and their meeting with the head of military security, Louay al-Ali, and their fight alongside of the soldiers of the regime against ISIS, I repeat the offer that was made earlier, which is that Abu Muhammad al-Julani chooses three sheikhs to judge the matter and confirm or deny this relationship between al-Julani and the regime.
A Salafi source close to Tahrir al-Sham told Al-Modon: “The leaks spread by Salafis opposed to Tahrir al-Sham about the latter’s participation in the battles against ISIS, or about the security operation that targeted the leader of the organization, are exaggerated leaks, and unrealistic in many of their aspects.”
He added: “Tahrir al-Sham’s leadership may have already coordinated and communicated with some former groups and elements in Daraa, and may have already participated in recent fighting against the organization’s cells in Jassem and Daraa al-Balad neighborhoods.” within the local groups, but their fighting is not necessarily conducted in coordination with the Idlib leadership, or that they play an important role in uncovering the leader’s hiding place of the organization and in the planning and execution of the operation, since the Salafis they are promote.
The source continued, “Leaks like this are part of the attack and organized media war waged by Salafis (former dissidents and former members and leaders of organizations who fought and destroyed Tahrir al-Sham) against Tahrir al-Sham Salafis always speak of security relations between the regime and Tahrir al-Sham, and always try to prove that relationship, which they warn of developing with him in full normalization”.
