Click to see the full-size image
On March 11, an intense fighting erupted among Turkish-backed militant groups in the town of Azaz in northwestern Syria. According to reports, the clashes took place in the southern vicinity of the town and caused a state of panic among locals. The main reason of tensions is contradictions between Turkish proxies that are involved in a wide range of criminal activities and regularly clash for spheres of influence.
The previous large incident of this kind took place on the road between Sukariya Kabira and Jeb al-Naasan, when Ahrar al-Sham members (this group is a part of the National Front for Liberation) attacked fifghters of a smaller militant group that operates in the area.
Another source of instability in northwestern Syria is regular incidents involving IED and car bombing in settlements and towns controlled by Turkish-backed miltiants. Turkish sources often blame Kurdish rebels for these attacks, but most of them are a result of the local standoff in the criminal sphere.
Click to see the full-size image
