A high ranking militant commander was executed by another rival group in the Idlib Governorate on Wednesday, February 28, as tensions continue to rise between Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and Jabhat Tahrir Souriya, Al-Masdar News reports.

According to pro-opposition activists, Ahrar Al-Sham’s Shariah chief, Hassan Soufan, was executed by a group of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham fighters after he reached one of their checkpoints in Idlib city.

The execution of Soufan by HTS comes just hours after the latter launched a massive offensive in the northern part of the province.

Tensions are at an all time high in northern Syria, despite the fact the Syrian government forces have halted their military operations in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo.