Residents of Idlib province are living in the wake of kidnappings and assassinations that began many months ago, but have escalated over the last two weeks and have developed into a new stage: the kidnapping of revolutionary symbols and scientific competencies and emanding ransoms.

Last week a senior doctor was kidnapped in Idlib province, Dr. Mahmoud Mutlaq, director of the gynecics hospital, and been released for ransom of more than 120 thousand US-dollars, and this incident came a few days after the release of the kidnappers of Captain "Said Narkash," Director of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Martyrs Brigade - Daria for $ 75 thousand.

Syria Call "Nedaa Syria" has investigated the most important bombings that hit the province and highlighted the kidnappings, and tried to identify those involved in those operations.

Assassinations and car bombs

Syria Call news network takes a look on the incident of the attack on the courthouse of Idlib by a car bomb and the execution of a group of militants were trying to plant improvised explosive devices in Ariha city who were killed by the city's Executive Force in addition to an attempt to carry out explosions in Qalaat al-Maeeq in rural Hama.

"The attacks and assassinations were mainly carried out by cells affiliated with the (Islamic State) organization, which has recently been active in northern Syria," security sources told Syria Call network.

According to the information reported, these cells are composed of Iraqi elements who arrived in Idlib after the fall of the city of Mosul, in addition to the remnants of the "Sham Army," which included "Liwa' Daoud" and "Liwa' Soyouf al-Haq", who came to Idlib accompanied by the army commander, "Rashid Tekko" and concentrated in their key strongholds in villages of (Mesibin, Nayrab, Sarmin and Jobas), as well as some militants of the "Islamic State" who were deported from the Yarmouk camp to Suwaida suburbs and their families were allowed to pass into Syria's nort, they joined the previous groups. The source pointed to the involvement of some women who came from the camp by facilitating some of the bombings, as happened in the attack on the courthouse, in addition to explosion attempts in Ariha city.

Investigations suggest that the remnants of the Jund al-Aqsa organization based in the Sarakib region, who are believed to be state-sponsored agents, play an important role in attacks and assassinations have been taking place in the region.

Some of the prisoners of the "Islamic State" organization who were caught by the forces of the operations room "Roll out the Invaders" managed to escape from prison a few weeks ago, and they are likely to be with the relatives of the captives from the organization spearheaded in what is happening within the province of Idlib; where they sent a warning period to the factions vowing assassination and execution in the event of not release of their comrades and relatives who were arrested in Al Khoein area southeast of Idlib.

The Syrian regime's intelligence apparatus could not be excluded from the events, especially the Syrian Liberation Front (SLF) arrested a cell trying to plant mines in the Qalaat al-Madeeq area in rural Hama. During the investigations it was revealed that it was involved in the kidnapping and handing over of a dissident officer to the Assad forces. In addition, the Jaish al-Ezza intelligence forces arrested an element of the cell itself.

Abductions

During the follow-up to the details of the abduction of the Liwa' Shohadaa al-Islam's Political Bureau Director , Captain "Said Nakrash", and another media activist from the city of Darya has been revealed that the elements involved in these acts are affiliated to one of the blocs of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham is the party who carried out the operation.

Nakrash was released for a ransom of $ 75,000 and a media activist for $ 17,000.

Security sources confirmed to "Syria Call" that elements affiliated to the "Sham Army", which includes the fighters of HTS displaced from the province of Damascus and its countryside involved in the kidnapping of "Nakrash" and the media activist as well, some of them were identified by correspondence. The victims brought evidence to the judge of Tahrir al-Sham that tha kidnappers are affiliated with the latter but not taken action until the moment.

The sources speculated that the kidnappings, especially those whose aim to obtain ransoms are carried out by some blocks in Tahrir al-Sham" stationed in villages in the vicinity of Idlib city (Failoun - Bekfalon) and in the outskirt of Jisr al-Shoghour, and these formations actually resigned from Tahrir al-Sham because of its dissatisfaction with its approaches and movements and the declaration of international relations, as it no longer receives funding from the leadership of HTS and seeks to secure funds through kidnappings.

The sources pointed out that the leadership of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham may be unable to take action against them because of the fear of pushing things towards conflicts and further internal disintegration, especially that some formations headed by senior personalities are considered joints in Tahrir al-Sham such as "Abu Malik Tali."

The incidents have cast a shadow over the entire north of Syria, and reflected on the movement of the population in most areas, which are severely restricted, especially at night. The complexity of the issue is compounded by the weak security coordination between the factions operating in Idlib governorate, because of the differences that developed into confrontations months ago. Although there is initial agreement among all to coordinate for the restoration of stability in the region, there are no real steps.

Writer Syria Call Editorial Board Source Syria Call