| Tahrir al-Sham–Jundullah conflict | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theinter-rebel conflict in theSyrian Civil War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 JundallahJunud al-Sham[1] Jund al-Islam[2] Unaffiliated jihadists[3][4] | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Abu Mohammad al-Julani | Abu Musa al Shishani (Jundullah leader)[5] Mahr al-Dein | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 9 killed[6] | 26 killed 3 captured[6] Several foreign jihadists executed | ||||||||
TheTahrir al-Sham–Jundullah conflict was a series of violent clashes betweenHayat Tahrir al-Sham and several rival jihadist factions operating in theIdlib andLatakia governorates. The clashes began on 25 October 2021 after HTS demanded that the jihadist leaderMuslim Shishani should stand trial after they accused him and his group of sheltering members of theIslamic State.[3][7]
HTS sent a mediation committee to meet with Shishani on 21 October. The committee included members ofTurkistan Islamic Party in Syria,Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar,Ajnad al-Kavkaz and Muhammed Shakiel. After negotiations, Junud al-Sham agreed to leave the area.[8]
HTS announced on 24 October that Junud al-Sham was not a target of the operation.[9]
On 25 October, clashes began in and aroundJisr al-Shugur and theTurkmen Mountains after forces of HTS attacked the headquarters of theJunud al-Sham faction, following a refusal to stand some of their members on trial as part of an internal security operation by HTS.[1] The clashes soon also involvedJundallah (a group of mostly Turkish andAzeri jihadists), Jund al-Islam, and unaffiliated foreign jihadists.[3] Tensions increased when Jundallah arrested several HTS fighters in the Turkmen Mountains. In response, HTS brought up to 100 vehicles with heavy weapons towards the north of Latakia. The same day, HTS stormed the headquarters of Jundallah in Jisr al-Shugur.[10]
On 26 October, after hours of fighting, forces of HTS had taken Abu Aref hill in the Turkmen mountains from Jundallah, killing seven members of the faction. Four members of HTS were also killed during the fighting. Under mediation of theTurkistan Islamic Party in Syria, HTS had secured a deal with two rival factions where they agreed to leave the Turkmen Mountains, however some members of the factions refused and continued fighting. Later, HTS forces captured threeChechen jihadists that had refused to abide by the deal. The deal also secured the transfer ofprisoners.[11][12]
On 27 October, heavy clashes were reported between Jundallah and HTS on the frontlines of the Turkmen Mountains.[13][better source needed]
On 28 October, HTS arrested two men after storming the village ofDeir Hassan, for their part in a demonstration against the fighting in Latakia.[14] The fighting ended after HTS managed to capture two Jundallah field commanders together with the leader of Jundullah,Abu Musa al Shishani.[8] al-Shishani is reportedly the brother ofMuslim Shishani.[15]
Following the deal between HTS and Junud al-Sham & Jundallah, it was reported on 29 October that HTS had executed several foreign members of jihadist groups on the frontlines in the Turkmen Mountains.[4]
