After withdrawal of Turkish-backed faction | HTS forces deploy in five positions in Afrin

Aleppo province: SOHR activists have reported that members of HTS in Basofan, Fafrtin, Kabashin, Borj Haidar and Ba’ya villages in Afrin countryside, and took control of checkpoints, a military base and positions of Al-Sham Legion, after Al-Sham Legion withdrew from these positions.

According to reliable SOHR sources, HTS members were armed and had 4×4 vehicles carrying heavy and medium machineguns and entered the previously mentioned villages without any resistance by Al-Sham Legion, and they established new checkpoints at the entrances and exits of these villages and reinforced frontlines with Kurdish and regime forces, while covering their actions under banners of Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic Movement.

Meanwhile, Al-Hamza Division raised their military readiness and reinforced their forces in Al-Basota village in Shirawa district in fear for any emergency.

Moreover, areas in Al-Bab countryside eastern of Aleppo witnessed military alert among Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah and Islamic Ahrar Al-Sham factions in fear of new clashes, after Islamic Ahrar Al-Sham and Tahrir Al-Sham factions broke the terms of the agreement they had, which states the necessity of withdrawal of fighting factions from areas that were recently controlled, in addition to releasing the prisoners.

SOHR sources reported that calm gradually returned to “Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch” areas following the withdrawal of Tahrir Al-Sham and Ahrar Al-Sham convoys from areas in Afrin countryside, north-west of Aleppo.

This development came after tension and fighting erupted between “Ahrar Al-Sham” and “Third Corps” in Al-Bab countryside, east of Aleppo.

Although calm gradually returned to the area, areas in Al-Bab countryside continued to witness an alert and deployment of militiamen of both “Third Corps and Ahrar Al-Sham” until now.

According to Syrian Observatory sources, “Deir Ballout and Al-Ghazawiyah” crossings, which linked HTS-controlled areas with areas held by Turkish-backed “National Army,” had reopened and civilian movement and trade were run normally today.

According to SOHR statistics, the death toll of violent fighting that broke out between Ahrar Al-Sham on one hand and Third Corps and Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah on the other, in Al-Bab countryside is eight, and it is as follows:

Four civilians, including a child and a little girl.

Four fighters of Ahrar Al-Sham and Al-Jabaha Al-Shamiyyah.

While the casualty toll is 11 civilians, including a girl who is still under intensive care due to her serious injury, and there are also number of militiamen were injured.