HTS recruits masked women to confront Russian-Turkish patrols in Syria’s Idlib – media source

IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – A media source covering the joint Russian-Turkish patrol on the M4 highway said that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) recruited approximately 10 masked women in order to confront the patrol and throw stones at it. 

The source, who goes by Ayman al-Mustafa, stated that a Turkish officer asked one of the HTS security officials to return the women and prevent them from taking that step, pointing out that a long discussion took place between the two parties in order to persuade the HTS member to prevent the women from throwing stones at the Turks.  

“What is interesting is that the Russians did not get off their vehicles to prevent women from throwing stones at the patrol,” al-Mustafa told North Press.  

HTS members assaulted a number of journalists in the city of Ariha while covering the course of the joint Russian-Turkish patrol on the M4 highway south of Idlib.  

Al-Mustafa stated that by assaulting journalists, HTS aims to provoke Turkish forces and lure them into a provocation.

He stressed that the scene was clear when HTS members assaulted a number of journalists in full view of Turkish officers, who did not take any measures to prevent these violations.  

In response to a question regarding HTS members’ deployment on M4 highway, especially with the passage of Russian-Turkish patrols, al-Mustafa said that the nearest HTS checkpoint is only 100 m from the highway, while there are checkpoints in the entrances of all villages and towns on both sides of the highway. 

The Russian-Turkish patrols are experiencing difficulties in completing their course as a result of being subjected to repeated targeting and stone-throwing, especially in the areas under the control of the Turkistan Islamic Party.   

Al-Mustafa pointed out that the most important HTS checkpoints that are close to the M4 highway are al-Nairab, Ariha, Orm al-Joz, Kafr Shlaya, al-Qiyasat, Mehambel, and Jisr al-Shughour. 

“There are masked members affiliated with the HTS and stationing on these checkpoints; we do not know what their nationalities are, but some of them try to speak the Syrian dialect, in addition to unmasked members who are of Syrian nationality,” al-Mustafa said.  

HTS opposes the ceasefire agreement reached by Russia and Turkey in the Idlib area, northwestern Syria, at the beginning of last March.