On August 21, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG)-affiliated “Ghadab al-Zaytun” operations room announced that its cells assassinated a field commander of the Turkish-backed al-Shamiya Front named “Mohamad Mahu” between the villages of al-Shadud and Baruza, which are located in the Euphrates Shield (ES)-held part of the northern Aleppo countryside.
“Our units were able to kill him [Mohamad Mahu] after monitoring his movements so he receives the penalty for his dirty deeds against our defenseless people,” Ghadab al-Zaytun said in an offical statement published by the Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA).
The Ghadab al-Zaytun operations room was formed earlier this year by Kurdish forces to punish Syrian fighters who had supported the Turkish attack on the area of Afrin. So far, several commanders and fighters of the Turkish-back Free Syrian Army (FSA) have been assassinated in the governorates of Idlib and Aleppo by Ghadab al-Zaytun.
The assassination of Mahu is another example of the deteriorating security situation in the area controlled by the ES. During the last few months, Turkey and the FSA worked to improve security measures. However, the area is still highly vulnerable.