On April 30 afternoon, al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) opened a crossing linking Greater Idlib with government-held areas, ignoring popular discontent with the step.
The crossing links HTS-held Maaret Elnaasan and the government-held town of Mizanaz in western Aleppo. According to the Enab Baladi outlet, at least three trucks packed with goods have passed through the crossing, so far.
The reopening of the crossing provoked dozens of locals who were protesting in a nearby area. The protesters tried to block the road leading to the crossing. However, HTS’ security forces responded with live fire, injuring five people.
A security commander of HTS even attempted to run over the protesters with his SUV, which reportedly injured at least two civilians.
Earlier this month, HTS attempted to open a similar crossing with the government-held city of Saraqib in southern Idlib. However, a backlash from the public forced the group to change the crossing’s location to western Aleppo.
Many opposition activists rejected the opening of the crossing, claiming that it will boost the economy in government-held areas and contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in Greater Idlib.
HTS’ decision to open the crossing by force, with no regards whatsoever all criticism, will likely lead to more tension in Greater Idlib. Some sources reported that Turkey is against the step because HTS is still hindering its efforts to reopen the Lattakia-Aleppo highway, known as the M4.
So Turkey vs HTS for opening the road , but HTS vs Civilians for trying to reopen the local economy ? This is so strange SAA should be the only one’s there I believe many of those civilians are indoctrinated or brainwash , even if SAA wins they will have that mentality and some even more fanatics then HTS.
We are missing a big part of this story. Some ‘civilians’ don’t want their neighbours moving to government areas, or news of life under HTS ?
That’s right.
This is yet another twist to the US propagated conflict.
The whole situation is wierd and this is likely due to the fact that undisciplined proxies are employed by the US, either directly or indirectly. Turkey is just another US proxy in all of this carnage.
HTS want to control goods trade in Idlib..above all because many of them which use to came from Turkey have been stopped due Coronavirus crisis in Turkey!…and now needed Syrian suppiers!…
That makes at least some sense, you’ve probably got it.
Here’s a theory. Turkey isn’t paying HTS because they haven’t delivered what Turkey wanted (victory in Idlib). So HTS are back at their old game of taxation, ransom and extortion. For that, you need goods crossing borders, so HTS needs a link with the SAA-held areas for economic reasons too.
kill these vehhebi saudi-UAE backed and paid Zionists. Turkish army and FSA to crush and destroy these vehhebi traitors.
LOL, is anyone getting confused, I know I am, well sort of. Up until now we’ve been told the Turks are the only ones wanting to implement the new Russian/Turkish agreement to reopen the M4 Highway so they can recommence commercial traffic, but now HTS are trying to do the same thing on one of the roads they control but the Turks won’t let them, LOL, too confusing, or is it, LOL, maybe not so confusing afterall, not when you really think about it, LOL LOL LOL. Obviously the government side didn’t try to stop HTS crossing the government checkpoint [all the roads have checkpoints], they let the first 3 trucks cross to deliver their goods, but strangely the Turks don’t want them doing that, does anyone wonder why. All the SF stories so far have been about HTS obstructing the Turks in their many attempts to reopen the M4 highway, but here we have a conflicting story that doesn’t fit that previous narrative. So why would HTS object to the reopening of the M4 but still want commercial links with the government side using the roads they control, it doesn’t make sense. So if the government side doesn’t mind buying much needed food from the HTS terrorists using the HTS controlled back roads, it stands to reason they wouldn’t mind buying HTS food if it was delivered via the M4. So why don’t the Turks want HTS to have commercial links with the government, and even more importantly, why is HTS opening commercial links with the Syrian government at all, they’re actually designated terrorists and the last people you’d expect the Syrian government to be buying food from, you’d think the Syrian government would prefer to buy food from the Turkish opposition forces, who aren’t [officially] designated terrorists. Do the Turks really want to reopen the M4, and have some of the protests that have been attributed to HTS really been by HTS, this article makes me suspect they haven’t.
And I know some of you might be saying this to me as a response to this comment,
‘But HTS might of smuggled the food in and used corrupt government soldiers and officials to do it’,
And I’ll reply, then how did the protestors all know about it, and the Turks, and the reporters who broke the story, so it was no secret to anyone, not even or especially the Syrian government. In Deir ez Zor there’s heaps of trade between SDF and government areas, the government even rebuilt a bridge to help facilitate trade, so don’t be shocked if the government buys much needed food from the enemy when they need it. And as shocking as this may sound, a reconciliation agreement between HTS and the government would be the last thing the Turks would want, so buying food from HTS isn’t quite as silly as it sounds, some could even say it’s the smart thing to do while the Turks and HTS are squabbling. Apart from the Chechens, Uighurs and a few other groups, the HTS and Al Nusra designated terrorists are mostly ethnically Arabs, 80% Arab 20% Turkmen, the opposition forces that Erdogan backs, SNA/NFL/FSA/SLF, are probably about 45% Turkmen, 50% Arab and the rest some really stupid Kurds and other a few other minorities groups just as stupid. The Turkmen in both groups are loyal to Erdogan [I’m including the Chechens and Uighurs from HTS] so they side with Erdogan and Turkey no matter what Assad says, but the Arabs from HTS and Al Nusra don’t, and even though they don’t listen to Assad either, I think Assad has more chance of driving a wedge through the Turkish HTS alliance using HTS itself, is that what’s happening?.