After staying in the open for over 30 hours | Convoy of Um Batna displaced people arrives in Idlib

SOHR activists have confirmed that the convoy of displaced people, who have been evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside, has arrived in areas under the control of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and opposition factions in Idlib province. The buses carrying tens of displaced families are heading to Deir Hassan village in the northern countryside of Idlib.

 

This development came after these displaced people suffered from dire humanitarian situation when they were left in the open for more than 30 hours, as factions of the “National Army” refused to allow them to enter al-Bab area in eastern Aleppo, at Turkish intelligence’s orders, under the pretext that “there were no a coordination between Russian and Turkish forces”.

 

Yesterday, Syrian Observatory sources reported deployment of hundreds of militiamen of the Turkish-backed “National Army” at Abu al-Zendin crossing in al-Bab countryside in eastern Aleppo, where they prevented demonstrators from reaching the convoy of the displaced families, who were evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside, as these families were stranded between the regime’s checkpoint and the checkpoint of the ” National Army”. Moreover, the National Army’s militiamen assaulted several demonstrators who attempted to reach to the displaced families. While the convoy was prevented from entering the factions’ controlled areas, at Turkish intelligence’s orders.

 

SOHR activists had said that tens of residents stormed Abu al-Zendin crossing near al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo in order to force the “National Army” to allow the families, who were evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside, to enter the factions’ controlled areas. It is worth noting that the Turkish intelligence service prevented these families from passing through the crossing under the pretext that “there were no a coordination between Russian and Turkish forces”.

 

A few hours earlier, Syrian Observatory sources confirmed that the Turkish intelligence services continued preventing displaced families who were evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside from entering areas under the control of the Turkish-backed “National Army” in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. The families are still staying in the open between the regime’s checkpoint and the checkpoint of the “National Army” on the outskirts of al-Bab city under the pretext that “there were no a coordination between Russian and Turkish forces”.

 

We, at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, appeal to relevant actors to exert pressure on the authorities in charge of the areas controlled by Turkish forces and their proxy factions in order to allow these displaced families to enter these areas, especially since there are children and women who need medical care.

 

SOHR activists reported earlier this morning that the Turkish intelligence service continued preventing the entry of 30 families, who were displaced from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside, to al-Bab city since yesterday evening. Meanwhile, the families were stranded at Abu al-Zendin crossing, between the regime’s checkpoint and the checkpoint of the “National Army”, where they were staying in the open, amid dire humanitarian situation as there were sick children and women need medical care.

 

Yesterday, SOHR sources reported that the displaced families from al-Quneitra were stranded at Abu al-Zendin crossing, which is under the control of the Turkish forces and their proxy factions, near the city of Aleppo, as the families were waiting at Abu al-Zendin crossing after passing through regime forces crossing, in light of refusal by the Turkish forces to let them enter the countryside of Aleppo

 

On the other hand, a popular demonstration took place at the Center roundabout in the city of al-Bab, east of Aleppo, denouncing the Turkish attitude regarding the closure of crossing for these families.

 

A few hours earlier, Syrian Observatory activists reported seeing three buses entering Um Batna town in the meddle countryside of al-Quneitra countryside in preparations for evacuating nearly 30 suspicious individuals with their families to north Syria region. This development came after an agreement between the military security branch and the Russians on one hand, and the Central Commission in Hawaran and some of the area’s dignitaries on the other. It is expected that the buses, which left Um Batna, would head to al-Bab area in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo.