Violent clashes continue between Turkish-backed SNA, HTS in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Violent clashes took place on Monday between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) and the Third Legion, a faction affiliated with Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), in the village of Kafr Janneh in the countryside of Afrin, north of Aleppo.
An exclusive source told North Press that a military convoy of the Third Legion set off from the city of Azaz north of Aleppo toward Kafr Janneh to confront HTS’ advancement in the region.
On Monday, residents of Azaz expressed their rejection of the entry of a military convoy of HTS to the city.
HTS targeted residential areas in Kafr Janneh with artillery shells, mortars and machineguns in preparation for advancement in the region, the source added.
The source noted that due to clashes between the two parties, the Afrin-Azaz road is impassible.
The source confirmed the arrival of HTS vehicles to Afrin carrying unknown number of dead bodies and injured.
After signing an agreement between HTS and the Third Legion to cease the clashes and allowing the return of the Third Legion to its headquarters in Afrin, without attacking its militants and equipment by HTS, the tension resumed between the two parties.
The residents in camps in Kafr Janneh, Mash’la, Hannan cemetery appealed to Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition factions to stop shelling and allowing them to flee to other areas.
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 city and its countryside witnessed fighting between HTS along with Sultan Suleiman Shah (al-Amshat) faction and al-Hamza Division on one hand, and Levant Front along with Third Legion and Ahrar al-Sham faction on the other.
The fighting ended with the control of the HTS over Afrin and its countryside.