HTS commercial crossing crisis: HTS bring in new reinforcement in western Aleppo, while residents blocking road to Miznaz

Syrian Observatory activists have reported that tens of residents from Maarrat Al-Na’ssan town and countryside gathered on the road to Miznaz town in the western countryside of Aleppo, blocking the way of trucks heading to the commercial crossing which HTS intended to open in the area with areas under control of the Syrian regime.

This development coincided with the arrival of military reinforcement affiliated to Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham in Maarrat Al-Na’san in the western countryside of Aleppo, in preparation for opening the commercial crossing with regime forces.

Meanwhile, reliable sources have informed SOHR that HTS has advanced into the outskirts of the regime-controlled town of Miznaz where HTS retrieved the bodies of its fighters who had been killed in previous battles with regime forces.

On April 28, SOHR sources reported that HTS members prevented a Turkish military column from entering Darat Izza city, west of Aleppo province, as members of Al-Katoura checkpoint blocked the way of Turkish military vehicles.

This development comes amid growing tension between HTS on one hand, and Turkish forces and their proxies on the other, since HTS seeks to open a commercial crossing with regime-controlled areas.

SOHR sources also monitored earlier that day Turkish army and Al-Sham Corps on one hand, and Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham on the other on high alert, in Maarrat Al-Na’saan area, after HTS had brought a wheel loader to remove the soil barrier erected by Turkish army.

Turkish army erected the soil barrier the previous day, blocking the way of HTS trucks to prevent them from reaching the commercial crossing which HTS intended to open in the area with areas under control of the Syrian regime.