Baladi News – Idlib (Private)
Several heavily-armed convoys of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham stormed Maarrat al-Nu'man during iftar time against headquarters of the 13th Division in the city, Baladi News sources reported.
In synchronization with the clashes, hundreds of civilians in the northern part of the city held demonstrations refusing of the conflict and demanding Ahrar al-Sham to stop its aggression against the 13th Division. However, Ahrar al-Sham fighters used live bullets to prevent civilians to head towards the conflict areas.
Tahrir al-Sham, according to our sources, accuses the division of murdering the father of one of its security officers, called Karam al-Turk, who was stabbed to death, which gave Ahrar al-Sham an excuse to evacuate Maarrat al-Nu’man of the 13th Division.
The discord between the 13th Division and Tahrir al-Sham started more than one year ago. That time, Ahrar al-Sham controlled all the headquarters of the division in Maarrat al-Nu’man, and all the attempts and litigations failed to return the ammunition of the 13th Division. That was followed by the assassination of the Chief of the division, Major Ahmad al-Saud one month ago.