Ansar al-Tawhid and Turkestan Islamic Party Blamed for Coordinated Attack in Idlib Province

In a tragic incident on Saturday, at least 11 Syrian soldiers lost their lives when militants detonated explosives within tunnels beneath army positions in the south of Idlib province, according to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The attack was carried out by individuals affiliated with the Ansar al-Tawhid group and the Turkestan Islamic Party, both associated with the Hayit Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. HTS controls significant portions of Idlib province, as well as segments of Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia.

Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the UK-based observatory, described the attack, stating, "They detonated tunnels they had dug beneath army positions and simultaneously launched an assault from other tunnels."

Approximately 20 soldiers were also wounded during the attack, and the death toll is expected to rise as fighting continues in the region.

Videos shared on social media platforms showed smoke billowing from the site of the attack, with reports indicating that heavy shelling was ongoing.

The preceding day, government forces had launched a bombardment that resulted in the deaths of seven HTS fighters, further escalating tensions in the area.

Recent Russian airstrikes in opposition-controlled northwestern Syria, according to the White Helmets rescue group, claimed the lives of two civilians and left five others injured, including a woman and two children. Rami al-Dandal, a volunteer with the White Helmets, provided this information, underscoring the toll that continued violence has on the civilian population.

The Idlib region, which remains under rebel control, is home to approximately three million people and represents one of the last strongholds of opposition forces in Syria. Since the onset of the conflict in 2011, hundreds of thousands of individuals, mostly civilians, have tragically lost their lives, and millions have been displaced both internally and externally, with many becoming refugees in various parts of the Middle East and Europe.

While the early years of the conflict saw significant gains by opposition forces, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with support from Russia and Iran, has managed to regain control of large parts of the country. The remaining pocket of armed opposition includes substantial areas of Idlib province, as well as portions of Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia provinces.

HTS, led by former members of Syria's former al-Qaeda franchise, remains the dominant group in the region, although other rebel factions with varying degrees of Turkish support are also active in the area, further complicating the already volatile situation.