Protesters march in Syria against al-Qaida-linked group as a prominent militant is released

By BASSEM MROUE and GHAITH AL-SAYED
Associated Press

IDLIB, Syria (AP) — A powerful al-Qaida-linked group that dominates much of rebel-held northwest Syria has released one of its founders after he spent months in jail on suspicion of having links with forces outside the country. But despite the release, hundreds marched on Friday in the rebel-held northwest in a rare protest against the leader of powerful al-Qaida-linked group that dominates the territory. The show of defiance against the militant who runs the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group took place in the city of Idlib and surrounding areas. The group has crushed several rival groups in the enclave over the past few years and violently suppressed any protests against it. But public anger against the militants’ wrongdoings has escalated.