Turkish authorities deport 490 Syrian refugees to Syria
TEL ABYAD / IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Turkish authorities deported on Thursday 490 Syrian refugees, including women and children, through Tel Abyad and Bab al-Hawa border crossings in northern Syria.
An exclusive source told North Press that the Turkish authorities deported these refugees and handed them over to the Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), at the aforementioned border crossings.
The source explained that 110 refugees were handed over by the Turkish side to the SNA at the Tel Abyad crossing in northern Raqqa, north Syria, and were subsequently transported to detention centers for investigation.
Meanwhile, the Turkish authorities handed over approximately 380 refugees, including women and children, to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, north Idlib Governorate, northwest Syria.
The sources added that the deportation process occurred after the Turkish authorities confiscated all personal identification documents from the deportees. Additionally, their fingerprints were taken to prevent their return to Turkish territories.
Sources from within the Tel Abyad, Bab al-Hawa, and Bab al-Salama crossings confirmed to North Press that the number of forcibly deported Syrian refugees exceeded 6,000 since the beginning of September.