Syria's Islamist Ahrar al-Sham rebel brigade has named new chiefs after a devastating blast that killed nearly 30 members of its leadership in northeastern Idlib province.
The blast on Tuesday evening killed the key rebel group's leader Hassan Abboud, known by the name Abu Abdullah al-Hamawi, along with 27 other top members.
The attack targeted a meeting of about 50 military and religious leaders in the basement of a house at Ram Hamdan, northeast of Idlib city.
On Wednesday, in a video posted on YouTube, Ahrar al-Sham announced that Hashem al-Sheikh, known as Abu Jaber, would replace Abboud as head of the group, with Abu Saleh Tahhan as military chief.
"A group of the best chiefs of Ahrar al-Sham have been martyred. But Ahrar al-Sham is more determined than ever to continue on the path to liberating our country from dictators," the video statement said.
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Ahrar al-Sham is a key component in the Islamic Front rebel coalition, which has been battling President Bashar al-Assad's regime and jihadists from Islamic State (IS).
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on Ahrar al-Sham's leadership, and the rebel brigade has not officially pointed the finger at any organisation.
All Idlib province, with the exception of its capital, is under the control of various rebel groups after IS militants were pushed out earlier this year.
More than 180,000 people have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011.
