Opposition armed factions, especially in the province of Idlib (northwestern Syria), announced Wednesday (August 1, 2018) that they are united in a coalition called the National Liberation Front under Turkish pressure , as a result of meetings between the Syrian factions in Ankara a week ago.
This step coincides with threats of head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, to attack this region. al-Sham liberation body, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, controls most of the province of Idlib, while the remaining part controls a group of factions whose numbers have increased in recent times after the arrival of fighters, who refused to remain in areas controlled by the regime.
Capt. Naji Abu Hudayfah, spokesman for the new coalition, the National Liberation Front , said that one of the objectives of forming this coalition is “to counter all the regime’s attempts to advance towards liberated areas.”
The National Liberation Front was formed from a faction of same name, it’s been carrying name coalition; the Syrian Liberation Front (which includes Ahrar al-Sham movement and Nur al-Din Zangi) and the Free Army in Idlib, Al-Sham Liberation body »,« Syrian Hawks Brigades »and» Damascus Gathering ».
The new body was delayed announcement due to many differences, including selection of general commander, who Turkey wanted to be part of the “Sham Corps” and settled dispute only with acceptance of the Turkish request, where was appointed Fadl al-Hajji as general leader of integration.
However, many experts consider that the Syrian regions bordering Turkey are areas of influence for Ankara, which supports several factions in the governorates of Idlib and Aleppo, where monitoring centers have been deployed. On the other hand, Moscow seeks to reduce tension, on Tuesday 31 July 2018, they excluded an attack on Idlib «for present time ». The conflict in Syria since 2011 has left more than 350,000 dead and millions displaced.
