No civilian traffic in Abu al-Duhur internal crossing point

The Syrian government forces have reopened the internal Abu al-Duhur crossing in eastern Idlib countryside on Saturday, in order for civilians who wish to leave the opposition-held areas to cross into the Syrian government areas, but there was no civilian movement towards the government areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

However, the pro-Syrian government news agency (SANA) indicated that al-Nusra Front (previous name of current Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) has prevented a number of civilians in Idlib governorate from going to Abu al-Duhur crossing, which was opened by the Syrian government for movement of citizens towards its controlled areas in southeastern countryside of Idlib.

The acting governor of Idlib, Mohammad Fadi al-Saadoun, told the pro-Syrian government newspaper ‘al-Watan’ that for the second day in a row, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been preventing local civilians from reaching Abu al-Duhur humanitarian crossing, with the aim of a political bargain at the scheduled summit of leaders of guarantor countries of Astana Meetings, which will be held in Ankara tomorrow.

“For the second day in a row, all logistical facilities, including medical points, crossing points and buses have been prepared to transport people to their villages, towns and cities, but the terrorist groups have prevented residents from reaching the crossing point”, al-Saadoun said.

He added that there was contact with the Russian guarantor to allow people to cross, but rebel militants had prevented them. Repeating that for the second day, the means of transportation (buses) for the outgoing residents went to the crossing point and returned with no civilians.

Al-Saadoun said that the information received from the detained families by the those militants indicate that they tried to cross the borders, but they were shot at, adding that, “there were militants who cut off the roads leading to the crossing point in order to prevent the civilians to reach it”.

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, the Head of Hmeimim Center for Reconciliation, Major General Alexei Pachin said:

“In order to enable the voluntary and safe exit of the civilian and militants who wish to lay down their weapons from the de-escalation zones of Idlib, the Syrian government has secured a humanitarian corridor and a crossing point near the town of Abu al-Duhur since September 13”.

While social media accounts, loyal to the armed opposition groups said that, an official source from inside Abu al-Duhur crossing, in the opposition side has indicated that the crossing point was only opened in the past few hours.

 He also stressed that the crossing was closed in the middle of last winter and has not been opened since that time.

The source pointed out that there is no movement at the crossing point, neither from the government controlled areas towards the opposition ones nor vice versa.

The source stressed that what the Syrian government and Russian media outlets have published about the opening of the crossing for humanitarian reasons as they described are just rumors, and a miserable attempt to put psychological pressure on the people in the opposition-held areas”.