Al-Qaida in Syria close to snuffing out competition in north

Syrian rebels and activists are warning that an al-Qaida-linked jihadi group is on the verge of snuffing out what remains of the country's uprising in northwestern Syria, after the extremists seized control of the opposition-held regional capital, Idlib, last weekend.
With the jihadis cementing their authority over the city and its province, also called Idlib, Syrian President Bashar Assad has been supplied with a useful pretext for a long- expected assault against the rebellious province: that the uprising against him is largely driven by Islamists and terrorists.
"There is the real possibility that because of the Nusra Front's domination, the regime will enter the area with international approval," said Lt Col Fares Bayoush, a longtime opponent of Assad, who has been leading a rebel faction in north Syria.

The Nusra Front is one of the many names for the al- Qaida-affiliate that now heads the mighty Hay'at Tahrir al Sham militant group Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee - that seized the city of Idlib, as well as two border crossings with Turkey to feed its coffers. It is also known as HTS.
In July last year, the Nusra Front changed its name to Fatah al-Sham Front and said it was cutting all its links with al-Qaida, a move seen by many as an attempt to improve its image and market itself as a faction defending the Syrian people.

It abides by a deeply conservative code for ethics and jurisprudence and tolerates no dissent leading many who live under its rule to complain they are no better than the government they sought to overthrow in 2011.

The fresh gains by HTS in northern Syria come at a time when the Islamic State group is suffering defeats at the hands of Iraqi and Syrian forces as well as US-backed Kurdish-led fighters in northern Syria.
In Idlib demonstrations last week, the group's members shot at protesters waving the tri-color flag of the Syrian uprising. HTS will only accept their own, jihadi-inspired black flags to be flown in their presence.

"Any party that tries to confront HTS will be crushed," said an activist based in northwest Syria.
"This is a big blow for the Syrian revolution. Bashar will look like he is fighting terrorism," the activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals by the HTS.
With its previous incarnations, Hay'at Tahrir al Sham has long been the top dog in Idlib province but the putsch has had the effect of making it feel official. In recent weeks, the group deployed masked gunmen and carried out raids in search operations for alleged IS members.