Turkey closes three crossings with Syria
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, Turkish authorities closed three border crossings with Syria within the Euphrates Shield areas (Azaz, al-Bab and Jarablus), due to the ongoing clashes in northern Aleppo between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and factions of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
The clashes erupted on Sunday over the control of al-Hamran crossing in the city of Jarablus, in northern Syria. The hostilities involved factions affiliated with HTS and factions belonging to the SNA’s Second Legion. The crossing links between the areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with those controlled by SNA factions. It is considered a financial resource for opposition-held areas; researchers and analysts have estimated the monthly income to be at least $2 million.
Earlier today, military leaders in the Second Legion, affiliated with SNA, held an emergency meeting resulting in the formation of an urgent operations room. The aim of this operations room is to halt the expansion of factions loyal to HTS in the countryside of al-Bab and Azaz in northern Aleppo.
An administrative source at the Bab al-Salama border crossing in northern Aleppo told North Press that “the Turkish forces closed the crossings of al-Rai, Jarablus, and Bab al-Salama around 7 pm today.”
The source added that the closure is due to the ongoing clashes between factions of both HTS and SNA. The closure included commercial and civilian traffic, as well as deportation operations and military tasks, except the military medical teams.
The source informed that the closure is an emergency procedure due to the security chaos taking place in the towns and villages of the Euphrates Shield areas, amid significant advances by factions of HTS.
The source indicated that the closure came unexpectedly from the Turkish side without informing the administrations of the border crossings from the Syrian side, which are affiliated with the Interim Government, the political wing of the Syrian opposition.