Tension rises among Turkish-backed factions in Syria’s Aleppo 

ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – The city of al-Bab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, north Syria, witnessed a military tension between two factions affiliated with the Turkish-backed opposition Syrian National Army (SNA).

A military tension rose between Sultan Murad faction and Hamza Division after the latter installed a new military post, advancing on a post belonging to Sultan Murad in Tadef, east of the city, an exclusive source told North Press.  

The Sultan Murad faction opposed the establishment of the military post amidst a military alert between the two parties, the source added.  

The tension between the two parties extended to the city of Afrin, where the city witnessed a military alert between the two factions late yesterday evening, amid sporadic shooting, the source noted.  

The source indicated that the state of tension and alertness between the two factions coincided with artillery shelling by the Syrian government forces on the outskirts of the city of al-Bab.

Hamza Division brought in military reinforcements, including vehicles loaded with heavy machine guns and militants to the village of al-Kuraizat in the countryside of al-Bab, while Sultan Murad faction mobilized its center in the city, according to the source.

Since 2017, the city of al-Bab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo has been under the control of the opposition factions.

Al-Bab is considered a gateway for carrying out smuggling operations with the Syrian government-controlled areas, amid persistent tendencies among the opposition factions to establish their posts in the area with the aim of gaining the largest amount of profits from the smuggling operations that take place on an ongoing basis.

The SNA-held areas undergo security chaos, including explosions, persistent fighting between the factions and assassinations in light of the factions’ failure to maintain security there.

Reporting by Farouq Hamo