Widespread popular discontent grows over HTS’s decision to open a commercial crossing with regime-controlled area in western rural Aleppo
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored widespread popular discontent over HTS’s decision to open a commercial crossing with regime-controlled area. The residents of Ma’arat Al-Na’asan town and nearby towns and villages took out to the streets protesting HTS’s decision, expressing their rejection of the opening of a commercial crossing with regime-controlled areas, especially with the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in regime-controlled areas.
SOHR sources reported earlier that HTS removed the soil barriers and dismantled and detonated landmines in the area of separation between Ma’aret al-Na’assan and Miznaz in western Aleppo countryside, in order to open a new commercial crossing linking its areas to Syrian regime-controlled areas.
Syrian Observatory sources added that several commercial trucks arrived in Idlib waiting to cross into regime-controlled areas. This decision to open new crossing comes less than 10 days after Tahrir al-Sham reversed its decision to open a crossing with regime-controlled areas in eastern Idlib countryside.
Nine days ago, reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory that Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham reversed its decision to open commercial crossing linking rebels-held areas to areas under control of the Syrian regime, near Saraqeb in the eastern countryside of Idlib.
HTS has reversed its decision following large pressure by people who oppose this decision.
HTS said “the final decision is that we will not open the crossing until the coronavirus crisis is over or a considerable development affects positively on the map of influence”
SOHR sources have reported 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 dispersed the crowds by force and threatened to arrest protesters if they captured pictures or video footages.