 On 12 March the 13th Division reportedly raided the al-Nusra headquarter in Maarrat al-Nu'man, and in response Nusra attacked the division's headquarters and its weapons depots, capturing small arms, ammunition, and, reportedly, BGM-71 TOW missiles, though the FSA denied it

Since then, hundreds of protesters rallied against al-Qaeda in the town for more than three consecutive days.Some of the protesters torched Nusra buildings, while another group stormed into a Nusra-held building and freed some prisoners.As of 4 April 2016, the residents of Maarrat al-Nu'man have protested against al-Nusra for over 24 days.