Turkish forces install checkpoint on Syria’s Azaz-Afrin road
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, Turkish forces installed a checkpoint on Azaz-Afrin road, northwest Syria, amid military mobilization between Turkish-backed factions and a group affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front).
The Turkish forces installed the military checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Azaz, northwest Syria, near the national hospital, a field source told North Press.
Since July 2012, Azaz and its countryside have been under the control of opposition factions of the Turkish-backed armed opposition, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA).
The Turkish forces brought in five tanks and several vehicles, which were deployed on the Azaz-Afrin road in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the source added.
The establishment of the Turkish checkpoint coincided with the military alert of the Third Legion, a faction of the SNA in Azaz, amid reports of a dispute with the al-Shahba Group, which was newly formed by several factions close to and is led by HTS.
On February 14, HTS installed a number of checkpoints near the town of Jindires west of Afrin, north of Aleppo.
A source said that HTS installed a temporary checkpoint within the town under the pretext of banning thefts by the SNA factions following the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake that struck the region. It also aimed at expanding its influence in the region.
Afrin, including Jindires, has been under the occupation of the Turkish forces and the SNA factions since March 2018 following the so-called “Olive Branch” military operation to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting “Turkish national security.”
The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 42 villages and five camps in Aleppo northern countryside, locally known as Shahba region, since then.