Leader of Turkish-backed faction killed north of Syria’s Aleppo
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – On Saturday, a leader of the Turkish-backed armed faction Ahrar al-Sharqiya was killed while his escort was wounded after they were shot by militants of the Turkish-backed Levant Front near the town of Akhtarin, north of Aleppo.
A special source told North Press that militants of the Levant Front “opened fire on the so-called Abu Nimr Sharqiyah as he approached a checkpoint belonging to them in the village of Baroza in Akhtarin countryside, which resulted in killing him instantly and injuring his escort.”
Abu Nimr Sharqiyah was a leader in Ahrar al-Sharqiya in the al-Bab area in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, the source added.
The escort, so-called Abu Elias Sharqiyah, was wounded, and the reason behind the killing is yet to be known, according to the source.
Ahrar al-Sharqiya, which is one of the factions of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), is accused of committing human rights violations and recruiting members of the Islamic State (ISIS).
In July 2021, the US Treasury announced in a statement imposing sanctions on Ahrar al-Sharqiya and two of its leaders for committing human rights violations and pursuing a systematic oppressive policy against the Syrian Kurds, including kidnappings, displacement, torture, property confiscation and murder.
On Friday afternoon, the body of a leader called Hassan al-Jum’a in the Suqour al-Shamal faction was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the countryside of Maabatli, a town located northwest of Aleppo.
The SNA-held areas in northern Syria witness a state of security chaos, represented in continuous infighting between the SNA factions due to disputes over the sphere of influence.