HTS arrests members of little-known Syrian group behind attacks against Turkish army in Idlib
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham announced that it arrested most members of the Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade, a small, little-known jihadist group that is hostile to HTS and has repeatedly targeted Turkish forces in Idlib.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) General Security Service announced the arrest of most members of the Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade, which it accuses of being behind a series of bombings that targeted civilians and military personnel in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
In a statement published on July 6, the General Security Service said those members were arrested on charges of carrying out several security operations, including the attack on al-Mutlaq checkpoint in Idlib in January 2021 and the detonation of an explosive device near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey targeting Turkish army forces in May 2021.
HTS’ General Security Service spokesman Diaa al-Omar said in a video statement that security forces raided most of the Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade hideouts that were used to manufacture explosive devices.
Omar said they managed to “arrest members inside those hideouts and confiscated the criminal tools they were using to kill innocents and destabilize Idlib.”
