Syrian activist: Idlib residents live in horror due to Nusra assassinations

Most of Syria’s Idlib activists opposing the Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda organization’s arm in the country, which is also part of the so-called Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), are deeply concerned about the threats they are facing by the extremist organization that controls large parts of Idlib and its northwestern towns.

The lives of these activists are in grave dangers.

They are assassinated or detained in prisons supervised by HTS, especially after some of these activists accused al-Nusra of its involvement in the assassination of two prominent activists from the town of Kafr Nabl, south of Idlib.

The two activists are Raed Fares and Hamoud Junaid; both of whom were previously detained by HTS.

Ahmed Khalil al-Jalal, one of the most prominent artists in the town of Kafr Nabl opposing Bashar al-Assad’s regime, told Al Arabiya English that: “I personally accuse al-Nusra of the assassination, and in response, we did not remain silent, we took part in demonstrations by myself and some of their friends (Fares and Junaid).”

Representing the suppressed and frightened residents of Kafr Nabl

The Syrian activist al-Jalal who is a close friend of Fares and Junaid said that the banners they carried during the demonstration “were critical of al-Nusra and carried direct accusations against their involvement in the assassinations.”

He added: “We went out in small numbers in this demonstration because of people’s fear.”

He pointed out that “I won’t make it easy for al-Nusra to arrest or assassinate me, and what I am going through today reminds me of the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011, when the Syrian regime army entered our town.”

“The situation is difficult, and I am talking about the fear of those who do not dare to criticize al-Nusra, which is a security branch that terrorizes the people.”

Jalal said that “al-Nusra and the various extremist factions, politicize the population and control them by force under religious cover,” noting that “whoever opposed the regime in the past will not keep silent now, but it is unfortunate that most of the activists are either arrested or have been assassinated.”

The Syrian activist and painter said that a group known as “Hisba” which is affiliated to al-Nusra and considered its police, went to his home following his participation in demonstrations against the extremist group last Friday, but luckily he wasn’t there.

Nusra is a known criminal

Since then, the painter sought a safe house and can’t be seen in public for fear of his life, but his anti-al-Nusra speeches continued to be loud on his Facebook page, saying that he would “expose the killers,” holding them responsible for anything might happen to him in the future.