SYRIA: Explosion at HTS headquarters shakes southern countryside of Holob (Aleppo) amid rising tensions with Turkey
On Monday, an unknown explosion targeted the headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the western countryside of Holob (Aleppo), according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
“The explosion that occurred inside a military headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham collapsed the whole building due to the mines which were inside it,” SOHR stated. “It was not clear so far, whether the explosion was due to airstrikes by the U.S.-led International Coalition or by unknown persons.”
Sources indicated that the targeted headquarters was emptied a few days ago by HTS militants.
The targeting of the HTS headquarters comes after the death of a Turkish soldier on Sunday. According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the soldier was killed “as a result of the terrorist attack on September 6 in the Idlib province”.
Activists from Idlib reported that an explosion occurred near one of the Turkish checkpoints in the Ayn al-Hamra area after Turkish forces detonated an explosive adhesive device planted in a damaged missile on the M4 highway.
Amid periodic attacks on Turkish convoys and clashes between Turkish-backed forces and the Syrian regime, Turkish forces in Idlib reinforced their positions with additional berms and fortifications.
The Khattab al-Shishani Brigades announced their responsibility for the repeated targeting of the Russian–Turkish patrols last August along the M4 near Ariha.
In related news, sources loyal to the Syrian regime announced that Miraj Ural, a Syrian of Turkish origin also known as Ali Kayali and “The Banias Butcher” and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Iskenderun, had been the target of an assassination attempt in the northern Latakia countryside.
It was unclear if the attempt was successful.
Ural is referred to by members of the opposition as “The Banias Butcher” because he was accused of involvement in a massacre in which hundreds of Syrian regime opponents were killed and wounded, in the Al-Bayda area of Banias in the countryside of Tartous Province.
Ural has previously accused Turkish intelligence and armed factions affiliated with Turkey of being behind the multiple attempts on his life.