IED blast kills 3 militants of SNA faction in Syria’s Afrin
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – A leader in the Third Legion of the Turkish-backed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), was killed on Monday along with two of his escorts in an IED explosion in the countryside of Afrin, northwest Syria.
The IED was planted to his car near the village of Jaman in the countryside of Afrin, north of Aleppo Governorate.
A military source told North Press, “Bilal Abu Walid, the leader in The Levant Front of the SNA’s Third Legion was killed with two of his guards on the Sharran-Azaz road near the village of Jaman in the countryside of Afrin north Aleppo.
The source added that Abu Walid is the leader of a military camp of the Levant Front in the Sharran district in the countryside of Afrin.
Afrin, a Kurdish city in the north of Aleppo, has been under the occupation of Turkey since March 2018 following a military operation “Olive Branch” which resulted in the displacement of about 300.000 people of the original inhabitants of the city and its countryside.
The incident comes after the withdrawal of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) from Afrin city which it took over after expelling the SNA’s third legion. The withdrawal was based on a Turkish-brokered agreement which stipulated that both sides have to return to their pre-battle areas.