Tension rises among Turkish factions in Syria’s Afrin on smuggling
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Two Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), clashed on Saturday evening in the countryside of Afrin, north of Aleppo Governorate, resulted in injuries.
Clashes erupted between al-Hamza and al-Mu’tasim factions in Bulbul district, north of Afrin, on smuggling route to Turkey, causing the injury of two militants of al-Mu’tasim.
Clashes erupted between the Turkish-backed Hamza and Mu’tasim Divisions in the village of Sahra on the Turkish border of Bulbul district of Afrin countryside, wounding two members of Mu’tasim division, an eyewitness told North Press.
Military Police faction sent a military convoy to the scene to resolve the conflict, an eyewitness said.
The city of Afrin has been occupied by Turkey in 2018 following a military operation called “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s “national security.”
The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region (northern countryside of Aleppo) since then.
The Turkish-back SNA held areas, continue to witness a state of security chaos, accompanied by explosions and continuous fighting, amid the factions’ inability to maintain security.