Besieged neighbourhoods for 43rd day | “Asayish Forces” reopen border highway and clamp down on the security zone in Al-Qamishly

Al-Hasakah province: SOHR activists have reported that the Internal Security Forces “Asayish” reopened the highway between Al-Qamishly market and Nasibin crossing at borders with Turkey, after it had been closed for over 11 years by the regime forces.

The highway connects the centre of the city to its northern part, and passes adjacent to the security zone and the old French barracks, which holds Security and Military regime branches.

This comes as part of the pressure by Asayish Forces on the regime forces inside the security zone in Al-Qamishly.

On April 21, SOHR activists reported that Christian residents protested in Al-Wosta neighbourhood in Al-Qamishly.

The protestors condemned actions of the Internal Security Forces “Al-Asayesh”, where Al-Asayesh has been sieging the Security Square and closing roads leading to it. The protestors demanded to open the roads in Al-Qamishly.

Moreover, protestors raised banners reading “Remove barriers off churches, shrines are for prayer not for war, enough violations against Christian people.”

This came in light of the siege by the Internal Security Forces “Al-Asayesh” around the primary streets in the centre of Al-Qamishly city.

SOHR activists reported that the members of “Fourth Division,” led by the brother of the Syrian president, Maher Al-Assad continued their siege of Al-Sheikh Maqsoud and Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhoods in Aleppo city for the 39th consecutive day, by preventing the introduction of foodstuffs and flour supplies, which worsened living conditions, unavailability of some varieties of foodstuffs in the two neighbourhoods, soaring prices and stoppage of bread bakeries.
On the other side, “Asayish” Internal Security Forces continued to blockade regime-controlled neighbourhoods of Al-Hasakah and Al-Qamishli. Cars loaded with food and flour were prevented from entering regime-held areas in an attempt to exert pressure on regime to lift the siege imposed on Al-Sheikh Maqsoud and Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhoods.
This blockade deepened the suffering of the people living in regime-controlled Al-Qamishli and Al-Hasakah as the bread bakeries stopped operating for the 13th consecutive day.
According to Syrian Observatory activists, a group of residents blocked the main road near Mar Yaqoub Church in Al-Qamishli, expressing their anger.
On April 18, SOHR activists reported that Internal Security Forces “Al-Asayesh” had opened several roads and streets, which were closed by regime forces by cement blocks and security and military checkpoints since 2012 in Al-Qamishly. This comes in light of the siege of Al-Shaikh Maksod and Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhoods in Aleppo.
Accordingly, the control of Al-Asayesh had expanded in the city at the expense of the regime forces and loyalists, where Al-Asayesh managed to advance in these areas and tighten the siege around regime forces in the Security Square in Al-Qamishly city.
Local sources of SOHR confirmed that “Al-Asayesh” opened Al-Sotoro Academy road and the Military Security’s station near Jakjak river, in addition to the Security Square of the regime-backed Sotoro forces in Al-Wasty neighbourhood in the centre of Al-Qamishly city.
This came in light of the siege imposed on Al-Shaikh Maqsod and Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhoods, which are controlled by the Internal Security Forces “Al-Asayesh”, for the 36th day.