HTS clashes with new Syrian jihadi formation in Idlib province

Clashes continued Thursday between Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and a new Al-Qaeda-aligned coalition in northwest Syria, as an intra-jihadist rivalry threatens to spark war between the two sides in Idlib.

A stand-off has ensued in west Idlib after Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hurras Al-Din, formed the Fathbutou ("Stand Your Ground") operations room with other jihadist factions on 15 June.

HTS has clashed with the group on numerous occasions since then, culminating in an attempted raid of a Hurras Al-Din militant base in western Idlib on Wednesday.

Gunfire and shelling forced families in the besieged Arab Said village to flee their homes with the stand-off continuing later into the day, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Militants from the Hurras Al-Din-led "Fathbutou" coalition have sought to take control of territories in western Idlib by establishing checkpoints, HTS alleges.

The move has led to tensions with HTS, which nominally controls Idlib province and is known for its hard-line approach to perceived rivals - whether secular, Islamist or jihadist.

HTS - formerly an Al-Qaeda affiliate - has arrested a number of high-profile figures in Idlib this week, some associated with the new jihadi alliance.

This includes the detention of Abu Malek al-Talli, a former HTS commander who left the organisation due to its decision to quietly abide by a Russian-Turkish brokered ceasefire, agreed in March.