On September 13, the National Front for Liberation (SLF) launched an operation against civilians who had expressed their support to the reconciliation process in the southwestern Aleppo countryside. Syrian opposition activists said that several civilians from the town of Urum al-Kubra were arrested.
#Syria: while #Idlib Offensive is put on hold, Rebels resumed campaign vs ppl accused to promote “reconciliation”. Pics show #NLF arresting some of them in Urem Kubra (20+ ppl killed there by airstrikes on 10th August) in W. #Aleppo. pic.twitter.com/24z6lhndFN
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) September 13, 2018
According to the Damascus government and the Ministry of Defense of Russia, hundreds of civilians have been arrested by the SLF and other groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for supporting the reconciliation process since the beginning of August.
Syrian pro-government activists believe that the militants may execute these detainees to demonstrate their influence and to terrorize the civilians in their areas in northwestern Syria.
The militants fear any cooperation between the SAA and the locals in their areas. Similar cooperation led to the collapse of major opposition strongholds around the Syrian capital of Damascus and in southern Syria in the last few months.
