Unknown gunmen kill leader of SNA faction in northern Syria
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Unknown gunmen killed on Sunday a leader of a faction of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo, northern Syria.
A source told North Press that two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on the pickup truck carrying al-Farouq Abu Bakr, a former leader in the al-Salam Brigade of the Third Legion, killing him instantly near Free Aleppo University in Azaz.
Following the attack, Turkey-backed Military Police forces declared a state of high alert in the area.
The source noted that Abu Bakr had previously been involved in a major dispute with the leadership of the Liwa al-Mu’tasim faction, after the killing of the brigade commander Abbas’s brother, known as Abu Hazem.
The dispute stemmed from Abu Bakr’s alleged attempt to overthrow the faction’s leadership last year.
Eight months on, the transitional government in Damascus has yet to assert its authority over the northern and northwestern countryside of Aleppo, which remains under the control of Turkish-backed factions.