Clashes renew between HTS, Turkish-backed faction in Syria’s Afrin
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Following an initial agreement between leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) and Third Legion, a faction affiliated with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), to end hostilities, clashes renewed in the countryside of Afrin north of Aleppo.
An exclusive source told North Press, an agreement was reached between leader of the HTS Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and that of the Third Legion Abu Yasin to cease fire and end the dispute between the two parties.
The agreement included several terms including releasing the detainees of both parties, halt the alert, and returning seized headquarters to the Third Legion without attacking the latter’s militants and ammunition, according to the source.
It added that the leaders of the Third Legion refused the decision, which was deleted from all websites after half an hour of publicizing.
After deleting the decision, clashes renewed between the two parties in Kafr Janneh in the countryside of Afrin, reporting casualties from both parties, the source went further saying.
Earlier on Friday, Turkish-brokered negotiations were held between HTS and Third Legion in Bab al-Hawa border crossing north of Aleppo.
Earlier on Friday, military reinforcements to Turkish-backed Third Legion arrived to Kafr Janneh in the countryside of the city of Afrin north of Aleppo, amidst ongoing clashes with HTS in the region.
Afrin, a Kurdish city in the north of Aleppo, has been under the occupation of Turkey since March 2018 following a military operation called “Olive Branch” which resulted in the displacement of about 300.000 people of the original inhabitants of the city and its countryside.
The areas held by the SNA factions, for three days, have been witnessing unrest due to clashes with Hamza Division on the back of killing an activist and his wife at the hand of the division’s militants.