Turkish forces use force to disperse civilian sit-in on Latakia-Aleppo international highway

Reliable sources have informed SOHR that a large unit of Turkish forces stormed the site of a sit-in staged by protesters on the Latakia-Aleppo international road.

SOHR sources said that dozens of Turkish soldiers stormed this morning civilian sit-in protest the Russian-Turkish agreement, demolishing tents and forming a human wall in front of the protesters and beating some of them.

Gunshots were also heard in the area, and there was no faction present with Turkish forces during the crackdown on the protest.

The sit-in site is a new one located near the village of Tarnaba, east of Idlib, which was set up a few days ago.

On March 8, Syrian Observatory sources reported that protestors prevented the Russian and Turkish forces from running a joint patrol in Latakia–Aleppo highway (M4).

The protestors pelted the Russian patrol with stones as it was heading towards Al-Nayrab coming from the side of Tarnabah village, which forced the Russian to abort their mission and return back to Saraqeb city, east of Idlib.

This development coincided with deployment of tens of Turkish special forces along the M4 highway.