AFRIN, Syria — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, has sealed its grip over most of Idlib province and parts of the neighboring provinces of Aleppo and Hama.
A cease-fire deal was reached Jan. 10 in Idlib between HTS and its rebel rival, the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF). The deal ended the battle and established the administrative control of the self-proclaimed Salvation Government — the administrative arm of HTS — in all areas previously controlled by the NLF.
Seated in Idlib, the HTS-dominated Syrian Salvation Government was formed in 2017 as an alternative to the opposition's Syrian Interim Government. It represents the civil authority of HTS and administers large parts of Idlib. In addition to this administrative gain, HTS was able to strengthen its military control and expel the NLF from the front's main strongholds in Idlib and the western Aleppo countryside
HTS is an alliance of Salafi-jihadi factions led by Jabhat al-Nusra, a former branch of al-Qaeda. It is deployed in the province of Idlib and the nearby countryside of Aleppo and countryside of Hama. The NLF was also deployed in this area. It is a coalition of several opposition factions supported by Turkey and includes, mainly, Failaq al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham and Nureddin Zengi Brigade.
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