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Turkey faces mysterious jihadi enemies in Idlib

Turkish forces continue to expand their presence around the key M4 highway in Idlib as attacks by new groups fuel uncertainties in the rebel-held region.
A concrete box placed by the Turkish Army, for use as a guard point, is pictured overlooking the M4 highway near the town of Ariha in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib province on January 4, 2021. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP) (Photo by AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images)
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Obscure jihadist groups have stepped up attacks on Turkish forces in Syria’s rebel-held province of Idlib, adding to Turkey’s dilemmas amid the fragile status quo in the region. 

Al-Qaeda-inspired groups such as Hurras al-Din stood out as potential troublemakers when Turkish forces began to reinforce their presence around the key M4 highway last year, coordinating with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant rebel group in Idlib. Caucasian fighters, concentrated in Jisr al-Shughur and the Latakia countryside, were not seen as an immediate threat, though they share the jihadi ideology.

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