HTS Enters Syria’s Afrin To Support Ahrar Al-Sham Against Al-Shamiya (Photos, Video)

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On June 18 afternoon, a force of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler the Greater Idlib region, entered the Turkish-occupied area of Afrin in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo to support the Ahrar al-Sham Movement which is currently under attack by another Turkish-backed faction, the al-Shamiya Front.

According to Syrian opposition activists, HTS captured the key Xezwe crossing with Afrin after a brief battle with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). Both Ahrar al-Sham and al-Shamiya are factions of the bogus coalition. However, Ahrar al-Sham is currently allied with HTS and even considered to be a mere proxy of the terrorist group by some SNA factions.

Prior to HTS’s surprise attack, the SNA closed Xezwe and another crossing linking Greater Idlib with Afrin and the rest of Turkish-occupied areas in the northern Aleppo countryside. The step was meant to prevent Ahrar al-Sham from brining in reinforcements from Greater Idlib.

Some activists said that HTS used heavy weapons during its attacks on Xezwe and that its fighters were carrying the banners of Ahrar al-Sham. However, these claims are yet to be confirmed.

Al-Shamiya launched its attack on Ahrar al-Sham in the morning. Its militants attacked the villages of Tall Battal and Abla near the town of al-Bab, where Ahrar al-Sham maintains a key positions. Clashes are still taking place in the two villages.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that three civilians and four militants have been killed since the beginning of the battle.

The conflict between al-Shamiya and Ahrar al-Sham began a few months ago as a dispute over territory. Later, Ahrar al-Sham was accused by the leaders of al-Shamiya and other SNA factions of being a proxy of HTS.

The battle between Turkey’s proxies come as the Turkish military is preparing to launch new operation against Kurdish forces in the northern Aleppo countryside.

Without a direct intervention from Turkey, the battle between al-Shamiya and Ahrar al-Sham could drag on for days. HTS could also move deeper into Afrin. The battle, which has already displaced several families from Tall Battal and Abla, highlights the absence of law and order in Syrian areas occupied by the Turkish military and its proxies.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:

• Turkish-Backed Militants Raided Syrian Military Position, Killed Four Soldiers In Greater Idlib
• Northern Syria Chaos: Turkish-Backed Al-Shamiya Launches Large Attack On Ahrar Al-Sham Over HTS Ties (Video)