AZAZ, Syria (North Press) – The city of Azaz and its countryside, in northwest Syria, have been witnessing frequent explosions of improvised explosive devices (IED), car bombs (VBIED) and motorcycles, in addition to assassinations, kidnappings, and theft, in light of the sharing of influence and military and security tasks by Turkish-backed armed opposition groups.
Investigations not helpful
Abdulkarim Kabso, a 28-year-old resident of Azaz, said that the members of the armed groups controlling the entrances and exits of the city are responsible for the security chaos.
He referred to the ease of entry and exit of people and materials to and from the city, stating, “You only have to say that you belong to a non-governmental organization (NGO) or carry the identity of someone in an NGO operating in the area to cross the security checkpoints into the city without inspection.”
Kabso added that the preparations and warnings of the groups and police personnel in the city are available only after the bombings occurred, “so that an investigation, which is of no use, will begin then.”
However, Kabso believes that the role of these groups “does not work” even though they roam the streets and neighborhoods of the city on a regular basis.
On February 2, the body of a displaced girl from Homs governorate was found in the neighboring agricultural lands near Akdah camp, east of Azaz.
Willful negligence
Salim al-Hamwi (a pseudonym) a 23-year-old IDP from the countryside of Idlib who lives in Azaz, said that the groups and their police deliberately neglect the entrances and exits of the city, “and this facilitates the work of sleeper cells wandering in absolute freedom without being censored or sanctioned.”
He added that the state of chaos regarding the checkpoints and entrances allows the passage of bombed motorbikes or explosive devices into the city.
On January 17, a person was killed and others were wounded in an IED detonation placed in a car to distribute bread, in the center of the town of Sejoo in the countryside of Azaz.
Multiple armed groups
A member of the Third Corps of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), who preferred not to be named for security reasons, believes that the lack of a unified military authority controlling the entire region the multiplicity of the armed groups and the proliferation of weapons everywhere is another reason for the insecurity state.
He pointed out that the racism of some groups has caused a great rift in security, as every armed group in the region is made up of members of one family or one village who rally around each other in every crisis or problem, leading to shootouts and security disturbances.
The SNA member stated that the Military Police is unable to distinguish between groups, which “has made it easier for those responsible for assassinations and bombings in the region to work comfortably without arresting them.”
On January 22, the city witnessed military tension between the 132nd Brigade at the Turkish Ghazal base and the military police in Azaz.
Since July 2012, the Azaz region and the surrounding villages have been under the control of the Turkish-backed armed opposition groups which include several security agencies such as military police, civil police, state security apparatus and anti-drug department.