HTS militants crackdown on massive protests against group's leader

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
17 May 2024 16:14

Al Mayadeen's correspondent says HTS militants opened heavy gunfire at protesters demanding the toppling of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.

People taking part in a demonstration against HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. (Social media)

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported Friday that the security apparatus of the terrorist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group opened heavy gunfire at protesters demanding the toppling of the group's leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, in the Syrian town of Binnish in Idlib countryside.

Our correspondent highlighted that massive demonstrations emerged in the cities and villages of Idlib and the western Aleppo countryside in northern Syria.

#إدلب

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عناصر "هيئة تحرير الشام" يهاجمون المتظاهرين في مدينة بنش وجسر الشغور. pic.twitter.com/oyPMS4v5uI
— رؤى لدراسات الحرب (@Roaastudies) May 17, 2024

He reported an unprecedented and extensive deployment of HTS patrols and checkpoints within the cities, villages, and on main and secondary roads ahead of the demonstrations.

Our correspondent mentioned that al-Jolani's security apparatus carried out an arrest campaign while dispersing the protests that took place in Binnish.

The ongoing unrest comes after al-Jolani's security apparatus attacked a tent set up by demonstrators demanding the release of detainees a few days ago outside the so-called Military Court, in the center of Idlib.

Demonstrators from the families of foreign militants, in demand of the release of their relatives detained in HTS prisons, stormed the Military Court building.

The families are demanding information about the fate of their relatives held in the prisons. Coordinating bodies of the militants on social media stated that "the protesting families are demanding the release of detainees of Jordanian, Uzbek, Egyptian, and Turkish nationalities."

For months, Idlib has seen daily protests, often met with repressing, arrests, and assassinations, calling for the ousting of al-Jolani, the disbandment of his security apparatus, and the release of thousands detained in HTS prisons and accused of orchestrating a coup against the terrorist group's leader.