Turkey steps in to expel HTS militia from northwest Syria's Afrin
Turkey steps in to expel HTS militia from northwest Syria's Afrin
Turkish forces manned checkpoints and put up concrete barriers at crossings linking Afrin to Idlib as the deadline they set for Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham forces to leave the area expired.
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Turkey stepped in after HTS overran northwest Syria's Afrin earlier this month [Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty]
have moved to expel members of the IslamistÌý(HTS) militia from the northwest Syrian city of and its surrounding areas, military sources told °®Âþµº's Arabic-language sister site.
The Turkish army have put up concrete barriers at crossings in rural areas south of Afrin that connect the area to Idlib, the stronghold of the HTS,Ìýsources from the Turkish-backed (SNA) Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Turkish soldiers stationed at checkpoints are also searching and verifying the identities of people entering Afrin to prevent disguised HTS members from entering the area, the sources said.
The Turkish army expelled a number of HTS members who tried to move through a checkpoint north of AfrinÌýdressed in military police uniform, according to the sources.
The move to expel the HTS comes after the hardline Islamist militia overran parts of northwest Syria's Afrin and Azaz districts earlier this month.
Afrin had been under the control of the SNA, who with Turkey seized the area from theÌýKurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in 2018.
After deadly clashes, the HTS and SNA agreed to a , through which Afrin would be jointly administered by the two groups and most HTS personnel would leave the area.
However, broke out earlier this week when the HTS launched a offensive in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that a total of 58 people had been killed in fighting.
That attack appeared to compel Turkey to step in in defence of its allied forces, with Ankara giving the HTS until dawn on Thursday to withdraw from Afrin.
Some, though not all, HTS forces had withdrawn from the area in response to Turkish demands. However, , stoking fears that the group could easily return.
took place across northern Syria on Friday, calling for an end to the group's seizure of the Afrin area.
Both the US and Russia have criticised Turkey for its alleged laxity regarding the HTS offensive on Afrin.
Both have reportedly put pressure on Ankara to act against the group, which was formerly affiliated to Al-Qaeda and is still designated as a terrorist organisation by several states including the US, the UK and Turkey.
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