Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Aleppo confirmed Thursday evening that prominent Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (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 noteworthy that the leader of the terrorist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham militant group, Abu Mohammad 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.

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Al-Jolani's opponents believe his decision to release al-Qahtani was an attempt to exploit the latter's prominent position within the organization to contain the ongoing internal division and chaos within the militant group.

HTS-controlled areas have been witnessing massive protests demanding the overthrow of al-Jolani and holding him accountable. The demonstrators are calling for the dissolution of al-Jolani's so-called Security Apparatus, the release of detainees held in its prisons, and the establishment of an alternative governing council to manage the northwest region of Syria.

In an attempt to ease the protests, al-Jolani issued in late March a decision to remove the head of the Security Apparatus, Abu Ahmad Hudud, and appointed Abu Abdullah Horan in his place, marking the first significant change ever in the terrorist group's security wing.

Abu Ahmad Hudud is considered responsible for the extensive arrest campaign carried out by al-Jolani last October, in which he accused top organization leaders of treason and collaboration with foreign intelligence before releasing them from prison following the protests.