US calls for HTS withdrawal from Syria’s Afrin
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Damascus said its country is “deeply concerned” over developments in Syria’s northwest and called for immediate withdrawal of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) from Afrin north of Aleppo.
The Embassy, on its Facebook account, said, “We are alarmed by the recent incursion of HTS, a designated terrorist organization, into northern Aleppo.”
On Oct.13, the HTS gained control over Afrin north of Aleppo, following fierce clashes with Third Legion, a faction affiliated with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
However, the city has been witnessing a state of an uneasy calm after Turkey intervened to mediate an agreement between the two parties.
This brief statement is the first comment to be released by the US on the recent developments in Afrin and the HTS advancement.
It added, “All parties should protect civilian lives and property.”