SNA on high alert over HTS’s new movement in Syria’s Afrin

AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – The Third Legionof the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition factions, also known as the National Syrian Army (SNA), deployed on Tuesday militants on the outskirts of the city of Azaz in northern Aleppo.

The deployment came following information about the mobilization of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra front) militants in the village of Qatma in Afrin countryside.

An exclusive source told North Press that the Third Legion mobilized its forces in Azaz and Kafr Janneh in the Afrin countryside following news of the presence of HTS militants in Qatma hill in the Sharran district.

Azaz has witnessed a state of high alert at all checkpoints surrounding the city, and cars exiting and entering the city were subjected to an accurate check. 

This came after HTS entered Jindires following Jaysh al-Sharqiya’s killing of five Kurdish civilians and injured others in Jindires countryside for lighting fire to celebrate Newroz.

The region witnessed military alert that was followed by the HTS withdrawal from the town due to Turkish refusal over its presence, according to the source.

Following the crime, massive public demonstrations took place in Jindires and other areas in Afrin.

The city of Afrin and its countryside were occupied by Turkey in 2018 following military operation “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s “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 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region since then.

Reporting by Farouq Hamo