AANES criticizes crossing closures by Syrian transitional government
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The negotiating committee of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) criticized on Wednesday the closure of crossings between its territories and areas controlled by the Syrian government, describing the move as a “political decision” that targets civilians.
Speaking at a public meeting organized by the Future Syria Party in the city of Raqqa, Abd Hamed al-Mehbash, co-chair of the AANES negotiating committee, said, “The closure of the crossings is not from our side. This is a political decision aimed at punishing Syrians in the north of the country.”
Al-Mehbash stressed that disputes between the AANES and Damascus should be resolved “through dialogue, not by closing crossings or punishing the people.”
He added, “The Syrian revolution has not ended. Its goals have not yet been achieved, and many groups across Syrian society—from the northeast to the coast and Suwayda—remain dissatisfied with the government’s performance.”
Since Oct. 5, movement along the Tabqa–Athria road, one of the main routes linking AANES-held and government-controlled territories, has been completely halted despite repeated promises to reopen it. The Syrian transitional government has not issued any official comment on the matter.
The closure follows increased tensions in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, where clashes erupted between the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) and government security forces after the latter blocked access to Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh.