Protesters against HTS leader al-Jolani emerge once again in Idlib
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Protests calling for the overthrow of terror leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, ignite in Idlib's countryside.
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Protesters in Idlib, Syria, call for the overthrow of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the current leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham terror organization, on February 1, 2024. (Social media)
Demonstrations emerged in Armanaz and Kfar Takharim in the countryside of Idlib, controlled by the terror organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), where protesters demanded the overthrow of the movement's leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani on Tuesday, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.
Reiterating the same demands, which first emerged weeks ago, demonstrators called for the dissolution of the "General Security" apparatus that the HTS, under the directives of al-Jolani, had established.
The security apparatus had detained multiple citizens and HTS members for allegedly communicating with external parties. Moreover, protesters cited increases in taxes imposed on residents and their deprivation from essential goods as reasons behind their mobilization.
In early April, the prominent HTS official, Abu Maria al-Qahtani, was killed in the city of Sarmada, north of Syria's Idlib. According to our correspondent, al-Qahtani was killed when an explosive device planted in his residence was detonated, also killing other individuals accompanying him.
It is worth noting that the leader of the terrorist group al-Jolani had accused al-Qahtani of collaborating with enemy parties and detained him for eight months before releasing him last month due to mounting pressure and massive demonstrations that HTS-controlled areas saw in the past couple of months.
Now following the assassination of al-Qahtani, protests emerge yet again after a period of relative quiet. Concurrently, the HTS terror group has launched a series of attacks on positions of the Syrian Arab Army, however, these attacks were consistently foiled by government forces.
Read more: HTS attack repelled by Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces
