The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

HTS threatens to arrest anyone participating in protests against opening commercial crossing with regime forces

SOHR sources have confirmed that Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham dispersed civilians and media activists who had gathered on the road between Sarmin and Saraqeb in eastern Idlib, in order to start a demonstration against HTS’s decision of opening commercial crossing linking between rebels-held areas and Syrian regime-controlled areas there.

HTS have dispersed the crowds by force and threatened to arrest protesters if they captured pictures or video footages.

SOHR sources have just monitored widespread discontent among residents of Idlib against the backdrop of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham’s intention to open a commercial crossing between the rebels-held areas and areas controlled by the Syrian regime, near Saraqeb city on M4 highway in eastern Idlib. Calls spread on social media for holding mass demonstrations today, in an attempt to prevent HTS from opening the crossing.

Yesterday, SOHR sources reported that preparations were underway for the opening of a commercial crossing between HTS-held areas and areas controlled by regime forces near the city of Saraqeb on the M4 road, east of Idlib.

Areas controlled by Tahrir al-Sham and the “Salvation Government” suffer from increase in vegetables and agricultural crops prices. The opening of new crossing will drive the prices up due to increased demand, and provide the regime with consumer goods and foreign currencies.

Meanwhile, Observatory activists have monitored widespread discontent among the residents of Idlib city and countryside over the opening of the crossing which is an implicit recognition of the regime’s sovereignty on the area it captured in a year of fighting.