Turkish border guards arrest 17 Syrians
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, the Turkish border guards arrested 17 people, including two members affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), while they were attempting to cross the border into Turkey northwestern Idlib.
A source told North Press, “The Turkish border guards did not pay attention to the individuals scaling the border wall, only to arrest them upon entering Turkish territory. They were then transported to an observation center located near the village of Khirbat al-Jouz.”
The source added that among those detained were two members affiliated with HTS who were trying to leave Idlib and defect from the extremist group.
The source mentioned that the total number of detainees reached 17, including three women with their children.
The source indicated that it is expected that the Turkish intelligence will hand over the detained HTS members to the group via the Bab al-Hawa crossing, given that both parties engage in near-daily coordination.