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A few hours after merging into a unified group, factions of the National Syrian Army (NSA) and the National Front for Liberation (NFL) clashed in the Turkish-occupied area of Afrin in northern Aleppo.
The clashes, which took place in the district of Jandaris, erupted late on October 4 between militants of the NSA’s al-Sharqiyah Army and the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, a key NFL faction.
Local sources said that fighters of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement harassed girls related to militants of the al-Sharqiyah Army. This provoked the clashes. Several militants were reportedly injured or killed in the clashes, which lasted for several hours.
“Meetings were reprotedlly held in Freiday’s night in order to solve the disagreement [between the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and the al-Sharqiyah Army,” the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.
The incident occurred a few hours after the NSA and the NFL announced their merge into a unified group. A step that was apparently facilitated by Turkey, which is supporting both factions.
Despite the supposed merge, each faction of the NSA and the NFL maintained its own leadership. This indicates that the step was a mere propaganda move. Afrin clashes hint this fact.
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