The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Second Turkish reconnaissance forces enter Syria and tension prevails between Tahrir al-Sham and an Islamic movement prompts the latter to prevent them from reaching contact lines with the Kurdish forces

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that Turkish reconnaissance forces, which were supposed to go around the western countryside of Aleppo and the contact lines with the YPG in Afrin, were prevented from completing their tour by a rebel Islamic movement operating on the contact lines with the Kurdish forces in Afrin, and source pointed out to the SOHR that the Turkish forces accompanying the Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham were prevented from reaching areas of presence of the movement members because of the tension between the movement and Tahrir Al-Sham, where the Movement accused Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham of claiming to have most of the contact points between the factions and the Kurdish forces. Also SOHR received information that members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkish delegation were prevented from entering the area, so both of the Turkish delegation and the Hayyaat objected the decision of the Movement on preventing them entering and both of them returned to the borders.

The SOHR published on the 8th of October 2017 that the activists of the Syrian Observatory for human rights monitored the stop of the clashes that took place on the Syrian-Turkish border between members of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham and Turkish forces on the border of Kafr Luseen with the Iskenderun, followed by the entry of a Turkish force consists of several vehicles, and on board of them there were Turkish reconnaissance forces, and they headed to the western countryside of Aleppo. Intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that these vehicles had entered the Syrian border accompanied by military vehicles and machines of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham, which protected these machines and headed towards Darat Azza area in the western countryside of Aleppo, and located near the contact lines with YPG which control the area of Afrin, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received information that an agreement was been reached about handing over the points of contact with the Kurdish forces in Afrin to the Turkish forces; after the Turkish forces and vehicles enter the area located in the western countryside of Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published also on Sunday the 8th of October 2017 that it documented the fall of several shells fired by the Turkish forces on areas in Idlib province, some of them fell near the camps of the displaced people, which resulted in the escape of residents of the camp, for fear of falling the shells on their tents, while members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham targeted a border position of the Turkish forces near Bab-Hawa area by several shells, amid bringing military reinforcements by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, in which these reinforcements were monitored heading to the vicinity of Kafr Lusayn village, and other villages near the border areas, which witnessed clashes today the 8th of October 2017, these clashes and targeting are accompanied by tension prevails the border areas and Idlib province in general, of the next hours and days, with the accelerating preparations by the Turkish forces to enter Idlib province, after a Turkish – Iranian – Russian agreement, gave the Turkish forces the green light to enter Idlib province.

Some reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham infiltrated to the area where the military vehicles located and which was targeted more than 24 hours ago near Kafr Lusayn village, from the side of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, where they set fire and withdrew, to start the clash between the members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham against the Turkish forces, then the clash turned into exchange of targeting by shells fired by using shoulder-fired launchers, followed by shelling by the Turkish forces by mortar and artillery shells fell on areas in the province countryside, without causing any human losses until now.

These concentrations by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, in conjunction with the concentrations by the Turkish party, come after the first direct clash took place today, between the Turkish forces against members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, at the northern border of Idlib with the Sanjak of Alexandretta, where intensive exchange of fire took place between the both parties, at the border area with Kafr Lusayn village in Idlib countryside, accompanied with exchange of targeting took place between the both parties, while no information about casualties was reported yet, while the Syrian – Turkish border witnessed more than 24 hours ago, exchange of targeting between Turkish forces and Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham at the Syrian – Turkish border.