Illustrative image.
Two commanders of Turkish-backed factions in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo were assassinated in less than 48 hours.
On July 15, the dead body of Hassan al-Juma, a senior commander of the Northern Hawks Brigades, was found near Ain al-Hajar village in the area of Afrin. Al-Juma was reportedly shot and killed from a close range.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
A day later, a commander of Ahrar al-Sharqiyah known as Abu Nimr Sharqiyah was gunned down near a checkpoint in the outskirts of the town of Akhtarin.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Both the Northern Hawks Brigades and Ahrar al-Sharqiyah are key factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA), a large coalition that rules over Turkish-occupied areas in northern and northeastern Syria.
No group has claimed responsibility for any of the two assassinations, so far. The two main suspects are ISIS and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
ISIS may have carried out the assassinations in response to a recent US drone strike on Afrin that killed its top leader in Syria. It is also possible that the SDF carried out the assassination as a message to the SNA who is currently preparing to take part in Turkey’s upcoming military operation in Syria.
All on all, the assassinations highlight the poor security situation in Syrian areas occupied by the Turkish military and its proxies. Despite its failure to secure these area, Ankara is actively trying to further expand its occupation in northern and northeastern Syria under the pretext of establishing a “safe zone”.
