Turkish intelligence arrests 17 people in Syria’s Aleppo over Istanbul blast
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Turkish intelligence and the military police of the Turkish-backed armed opposition, factions also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), arrested on Monday 17 SNA militants in the countryside of Afrin, north of Aleppo.
The arrest came after the SNA militants, including leaders, were accused of smuggling the perpetrator of Istanbul explosion that took place on Sunday. Six were killed and around 80 others were wounded in the blast.
Military sources told North Press that the Turkish intelligence, in coordination with Turkish-backed SNA military police, raided multiple houses in the town of Rajo, al-Sham Legion headquarters and two headquarters of Hamza Division in Bulbul district in the countryside of Afrin.
On November 13, six were killed and around 80 were wounded in a blast in the city of Istanbul.
Immediately after the explosion, Turkish authorities accused the military forces in northeast Syria of being involved in the explosion.
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced arresting a woman called Ahlam al-Bashir accused of executing the attack.
Sources added that 17 persons, including two leaders of the armed factions, were accused of smuggling Ahlam al-Bashir.
Earlier today, the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), denied any form of presence of the so-called Ahlam al-Bashir, in the AANES-held areas, stressing on rejecting any Turkish accusations.
All the arrested personnel were taken to Turkey to be interrogated, according to the same sources.
The sources mentioned that the Turkish intelligence will continue conducting similar operations and arresting all those who were involved in the smuggling operation between the Syrian and Turkish territories.
It was revealed that many of leaderships of Hamza Division, al-Sham Legion, Levant Front, Sultan Suleiman Shah Division (Amshat), Samarkand Brigade, and many others were involved in the smuggling operation.
On its part, the People Protection Units (YPG), affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), accused Monday the Turkish government of being behind the explosion in Istanbul, indicating that Turkey is trying to make up pretexts to mount a new cross-border military operation in northern Syria.
The YPG said that Turkey’s narrative, which suggests that the perpetrator behind the explosion entered Turkey through areas controlled by Turkey in Syria, is “a fictional and unrealistic scenario to prove their false claim.”
The Turkish president and the Turkish government claim that the military forces that control northeastern Syria are an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has launched an insurgency against the Turkish government for four decades. Turkey has launched three cross-border military incursions into Syria under the pretext of protecting its national security.
The incident in Istanbul raises doubts among many observers regarding its timing, which came at critical times the country is going through, especially the heavy criticism against the current Turkish government regarding the deteriorating economic crisis.