Idlib woman shot by Syrian jihadists, sparking protests, dies

A woman who sparked protests in opposition-held northwest Syria after she had been shot in the head by the radical Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) died on Monday, local sources reported.

28-year-old Fatima al-Hamid was shot on February 10, reportedly because she was attempting to smuggle fuel between the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo. HTS, which controls much of Idlib Province, forbids individuals from importing fuel from areas held by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), a rival opposition militia.

Al-Hamid was transferred to a Turkish hospital on the same day as the shooting, where she remained until her death.

The killing of al-Hamid caused mass protests and popular anger against HTS, particularly in the Atmeh displacement camps, where Hamid was living. HTS reportedly responded with force, beating and arresting protesters.

Popular outrage was not limited to Idlib however, with news of the shooting circulating on social media and prompting condemnation from Syrians in the diaspora. Upon receiving news of her death on Monday, relatives of al-Hamid protested once again, attacking HTS checkpoints.

In response, HTS officials issued a rare apology and promised an investigation into the incident – though there has been no news of an investigation actually being implemented. Local authorities claimed that the shooting of Hamid was accidental, and the aim was to protect the internal crossing where she was killed rather than target anyone in particular.

Hard-handed responses against activism are common from HTS. Rights groups have criticised the radical group for its record of arbitrary arrests and torture of activists and journalists.

The organisation controls many key economic sectors in northwest Syria, including the telecommunications and fuel industry. It also generates revenues by imposing fees on all incoming goods from surrounding Syrian regime-held areas.

Fuel smuggling is a common practice in northwest Syria, where work opportunities are extremely limited. It is part of a variety of informal occupations residents of the area have been forced to adopt to get by, such as the illegal felling of wood to sell as charcoal.

The UN reports that 97 percent of the population – even those with employment – are living in “extreme poverty”. Most of the population is reliant on aid trucked in from neighbouring Turkey, with high rates of malnutrition, particularly in children.

Poverty has reportedly been getting worse because of the depreciation of the Turkish lira, which is widely used in the area.