Fighting between Turkish-backed groups leaves casualties in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, two militants of a Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition faction were killed and three others were wounded in fierce clashes between two groups in the town of Basouta in the countryside of Afrin, north of Aleppo.
An exclusive source told North Press clashes erupted between two groups of Hamza Division, a faction affiliated with Turkey, over dispute on cut down olive trees by militants of one of the groups.
The first group that is affiliated to Hazem al-Merei attacked a military headquarters of the second group that is affiliated to Abu Jaber al-Batran in Basouta and al-Ahlam Mountain in the countryside of Afrin, according to the source.
The region witnessed military unrest amid persistent clashes between the two parties until the moment this report was prepared.
Afrin, a Kurdish city in the north of Aleppo, has been under the control 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 SNA-held areas in northern Syria continue to witness insecurity, instability and chaos due to the factions’ failure to hold the situation under control.