Turkey closes border crossing in Syria’s Afrin following attack on man
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Turkish authorities closed on Saturday the al-Hamam border crossing between Syria and Turkey in the countryside of Afrin, northwestern Syria, following an attack on an elderly man by Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), near the border crossing.
A source in the security forces of the al-Hamam border crossing told North Press that Turkish authorities closed the gate from their side at the border crossing and prevented the passage of trucks and people.
He added that the closure might last for days, whereas trucks and people headed to the Bab al-Salama border crossing in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
The Turkish authorities informed the people in charge of the al-Hamam border crossing to prevent all employees from leaving until the completion of the investigations, the source noted.
On the other hand, a source close to the faction told North Press that early on Saturday, a militant of the Jaysh al-Sharqiya factions affiliated with SNA was killed in a checkpoint near the town of Jindires in the countryside of Afrin by unidentified gunmen.
The faction then surrounded the area and set up many checkpoints there and near the entrance to Jindires amid intensive inspections, according to the source.
Areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo under the control of the Turkish-backed SNA factions, frequently witness assassinations against civilians and military personnel amid increasing security chaos.