How Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rival operates in northern Syria
Al-Monitor interviewed the spokesman of the National Liberation Front, which includes several armed opposition factions in northern Idlib, to find out its goals and plans for the future.
IDLIB, Syria — An alliance of opposition factions under the umbrella of the National Liberation Front (NLF) marked a shift in the balance of power in Idlib Aug. 1, as it rose as a rival to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that controlled Idlib before the NFL emerged.
Apart from other small armed factions, the NLF and HTS represent the main opposition in Idlib. Each party has its own road checkpoints and city entrances. HTS controls the Turkish-Syrian borders reaching Idlib, while the NLF is deployed in eastern and southern Idlib.
While many states classify HTS as a terrorist group, the armed factions in Idlib consider the NLF a shield against inclusion on terrorist lists, which explains the increase in the number of factions under its wing.
Al-Monitor interviewed the official spokesman of the NLF, Naji Mustafa. The text of the interview follows:
