AL-BAB, Syria (North Press) – Residents and displaced people in the city of al-Bab, east of northern Syria’s Aleppo fear a military operation by the Syrian government forces after Russia reinforced the outskirts of the city.
On February 18, government forces brought in military reinforcements from the city of Ma’arrat al-Nu’man, south of Idlib, and areas in the western countryside of Hama, and headed towards the village of Oweishiyeh near the town of Tadif, southeast of al-Bab.
According to opposition military sources, the military columns coming to the eastern countryside of Aleppo belong to the Fifth Corps and the 25th Special Mission Forces Division (Tiger Forces).
The city of al-Bab, 30 km from the southern Turkish border, has been under the control of Turkish forces and armed opposition factions since 2017.
Basil Salem (a pseudonym), an IDP displaced from Idlib countryside to al-Bab, said that he recently started searching for a new home outside the city after hearing about the new government reinforcements on the outskirts of the city.
“The Syrian regime is unable to make the military decision,” opposition military expert previously Ahmad Rahhal told North Press.
“The military decision is in the hands of the Russians only, and the reinforcements of the Syrian regime from one place to another do not necessarily mean a military action,” Rahhal added.
Even Iran is unable to engage in military action without Russia’s approval, according to him.
However, a member of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in the city of al-Bab did not rule out the government forces’ plan for military action in the city, “that the regime aims, with its reinforcements, to storm the city of al-Bab, which is very reasonable in light of the Turkish forces not intensifying their points in the region and supporting them as is the case in other areas such as Azaz and Afrin.”
The officer accused leaders of the SNA of coordinating with government forces to bring booby-traps and car bombs into the region with the aim of terrorizing the people and spreading the idea of handing over the area to the regime.
Several days ago, Syrian government forces bombed the outskirts of the city of al-Bab with heavy artillery, and in turn the Turkish base stationed in Jabal Aqeel responded by targeting government forces’ positions with rocket launchers, according to a local source.
Al-Bab resident Reem Haj Muhammad communicates with her relatives in northern Aleppo to secure shelter for her and her family in the case that the regime decides to launch an operation.
She also described the security chaos and the continued occurrence of bombings, assassinations, and the proliferation of leaflets of the Islamic State (ISIS) threatening to execute people and return to the region.
On February 18, Muhammad al-Waki died and others were wounded in violent clashes between al-Waki family and the Civil Police in al-Bab, after the family refused to hand over Muhammad to the Civil Police attempting to arrest him.
Local residents hold Turkish forces and the armed opposition groups responsible for the security chaos.
On December 18 last year, cars and motorcycles carrying the banner of ISIS were observed moving around al-Bab city.
At the time, social media pages circulated the news of seeing posters on walls inside the city that included threats from ISIS.
“These threats and the government reinforcements led me to think about leaving the city for other areas in north Aleppo that are safer,” Haj Muhammad added.