Allies desert Syria jihadists before Turkey-backed battle

Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate was once a key ally for many rebels but they are now abandoning it as the jihadists face a Turkey-backed operation in its stronghold. The Fateh al-Sham Front, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, is the most powerful faction in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, which remains largely beyond the control of the regime. It heads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham coalition, which brought together an array of sympathetic rebel and jihadist groups and holds sway across Idlib after ousting rival factions earlier this year.

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