HTS pursues militants of Turkish-backed faction in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) raided on Wednesday houses in Ashrafiya neighborhood in the city of Afrin, north of Aleppo Governorate, under the pretext of looking for drug users.
An exclusive source told North Press that a group of militants of the HTS raided houses in Ashrafiya neighborhood, in which militants of the Third Legion under the pretext of looking for drug users.
HTS Militants carried out the raids disguised as Turkish-backed military police in the city, along with a number of policemen, the source added.
The HTS combed a large part of the neighborhood Tuesday night without revealing the number of the arrested people.
In addition, the HTS militants raided on Wednesday a squatter camp nearby Kawa roundabout in Afrin during pursuing three militants of the Third Legion, according to a source.
On October 13, the HTS took full control of the city of Afrin, following the withdrawal of Third Legion from the city toward the city of Azaz.
On October 17, the clashes between both sides came to a halt after Turkish intelligence intervened and ordered the HTS to hand over the security and military posts in the villages of Kafr Janneh and Qatmah to Hayat Thaeroon for Liberation, affiliated with the Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), which remained neutral during the recent clashes, an exclusive source told North Press.
On October 25, Military columns of the HTS withdrew from areas in Afrin and its countryside towards Idlib, while maintaining its security forces there.
Observers said that the withdrawal is just pro form and is imposed by Turkey after international parties refused the deployment of the HTS in areas in northeastern Aleppo.
Afrin, a Kurdish city in the north of Aleppo, has been under the occupation 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.