| Idlib Governorate clashes (July 2017) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofinter-rebel conflicts during theSyrian Civil War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Turkey[2][3] |  Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria[4] | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 77 fighters from both sides and 15 civilians killed[7] | |||||||||
TheIdlib Governorate clashes (July 2017) were a series of military confrontations betweenAhrar al-Sham andHay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).[18] During the clashes, Tahrir al-Sham attempted to capture theBab al-Hawa Border Crossing, causing concern forTurkey, which prefers Ahrar al-Sham to be in control of the crossing.[19] As a result of the clashes, HTS took control of Idlib city, the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing, and most of the areas along the Turkish border in the Idlib Province.
TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the fighting began when HTS fired on demonstrators throughout theIdlib Governorate who carried the1932 French Mandate flag, recently adopted by Ahrar al-Sham in addition to its originalwhite Islamic flag. HTS, which embraces theBlack Standard, opposes the use of the tricolour flag. The two rivals accused each other of provoking this round of fighting inIblin.[20][21]
Prior to the major breakout of fighting, on 14 July, clashes occurred between Ahrar al-Sham andSuqour al-Sham against Tahrir al-Sham in multiple locations in the Idlib Governorate, includingSaraqib andJabal Zawiya.[15]
On 19 July, forces of Tahrir al-Sham took hold of the town ofSalqin, later in the day capturingAl-Dana andSaraqib.[22] On 20 July, Tahrir al-Sham captured the border town ofAtme from Ahrar al-Sham.[8] Following the capture of Atme, Tahrir al-Sham attempted to capture the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing in its campaign to cut off Ahrar al-Sham from Turkey. On 21 July, a convoy of forces from theSham Legion and theNour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, which left Tahrir al-Sham the previous day, headed toDarat Izza near frontlines between Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham.[7] However, before reaching the frontlines, the convoy was intercepted by Tahrir al-Sham, and was forced to withdraw.[23] On the same day, a cease-fire agreement was reached between Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham, which involved the withdrawal of Ahrar al-Sham from theBab al-Hawa border crossing and its control handed over to a civil council. Soon after, Tahrir al-Sham forces entered the towns ofMaarrat Misrin andRam Hamdan, after Ahrar al-Sham withdrew without fighting.[24][25]
Russia and Turkey considered intervening to bring peace to the region.[3]
On 22 July, HTS captured the remaining parts of Idlib city not already under their control, with Ahrar evacuating the city, heading towards the southern parts ofIdlib Governorate;[26] on the next day, both sides agreed to renew the ceasefire. Nevertheless, HTS andTurkistan Islamic Party fighters also evicted Ahrar al-Sham from the Khirbat al-Joz border crossing and clashed with it inJisr al-Shughur's western countryside.[4] Acar bomb explosion in Idlib city also killed between 13 and 52 people, including up to 50 HTS members and 2 civilians.[27][28]
