Turkish-backed forces meet with rival HTS in north Syria
Extensive meetings were held in the past days between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Idlib, and the Levant Front, one of the most prominent and strongest groups of the Syrian National Army, in a bid to reach a compromise between the two sides.
IDLIB, Syria — Commanders from one of the leading factions among Turkish-backed forces in Syria have met with officials in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most powerful armed group in Idlib, sources tell Al-Monitor.
The Levant Front (al-Jabha al-Shamiya) is considered one of the most organized groups affiliated with the Syrian National Army (SNA) of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). It includes all the official bodies of the opposition-affiliated Syrian Interim Government. Also, the headquarters of the Syrian opposition’s National Coalition has been built in the city of Azaz, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, which is under the control of the Levant Front, and is seen as the most secure area held by the FSA.
The Levant Front is HTS's main rival, but, unlike the latter, it could not fully expand its control over the FSA areas, as HTS did in Idlib, in northwest Syria.
In 2021, the Levant Front was one of the first military formations to join the military alliance known as the Azm Operations Rooms, which was later joined by the majority of the opposition factions operating in Aleppo countryside. Although the operations room was considered at the time to be a fierce opponent to HTS, the latter remained unchallenged according to observers.
