Clashes took place between Ahrar al-Sham and the Levant Front, two factions of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, across the Turkish-occupied areas of the Aleppo Governorate in June 2022. Ahrar al-Sham was supported by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the latter's territories in the Idlib Governorate, while the Sham Legion and Jaysh al-Islam backed the Levant Front.
Clashes[]
The purported casus belli was the defection of the 32nd Division, part of Ahrar al-Sham's eastern branch, from the Levant Front-dominated Third Legion of the SNA. Following this defection, the Levant Front, including reinforcements of tanks and artillery from Azaz city,[1] attacked Ahrar al-Sham positions in the al-Bab District countryside on 18 June,[1] besieging the Ahrar al-Sham-held Kurdish-majority villages of Tel Battel and Abla before proceeding to storm and capture Ahrar al-Sham's headquarters in the villages. The two fighting factions then withdrew to the outskirts of the villages.[5] At least one Ahrar al-Sham fighter was killed,[9] and four civilians, including two children, were killed, and 11 civilians wounded during the clashes in the al-Bab countryside, which had spread to the villages of Sousian, al-Hadath,[8] Alwan, and Sheikh Alwan.[1]
In response to the clashes, the Sham Legion and the Syrian National Army closed the al-Ghazawiya and Deir Ballut crossings which link the SNA and HTS areas of control between Afrin District and the Idlib Governorate.[10] However, HTS then captured the al-Ghazawiya crossing after the Sham Legion withdrew. The HTS and Ahrar al-Sham convoy, consisting of technicals with heavy machine guns, artillery, and armoured personnel carriers, advanced north into the Jindires and Afrin subdistricts, capturing Jindires and the villages of Basouta, al-Muhammadiya, al-Ghazawiya, Qarzihil, and Ain Dara. Qarzihil saw the heaviest fighting.[5]
Turkey then brokered a ceasefire between the fighting factions.[3] The agreement stipulated that the HTS convoy withdraw from the areas it captured in Afrin, and the return of Ahrar al-Sham's headquarters in al-Bab. All HTS fighters left Qarzihil village and Ain Dara park and regrouped in Basouta and Deir Ballut, near Darat Izza.[6] Despite the truce, Ahrar al-Sham attacked Levant Front bases in Tel Battel.[11] By the morning of 19 June, fighting had ceased in all of the areas with the exception of Sousian village in al-Bab.[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Seven dead as clashes erupt in northern Syria". The New Arab. 19 June 2022. https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/seven-dead-clashes-erupt-northern-syria.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Negotiations and Mediations: Fragile Calm Hangs Over Areas North of Aleppo". Baladi News. 20 June 2022. https://syrianobserver.com/news/76080/negotiations-and-mediations-fragile-calm-hangs-over-areas-north-of-aleppo.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Suleiman Al-Khalidi (19 June 2022). "Truce ends clashes among Turkey-backed rebels in northwest Syria". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/truce-ends-clashes-among-turkey-backed-rebels-northwest-syria-2022-06-19/.
- ↑ "Following clashes with Ahrar Al-Sham and HTS - Al-Sham Corps withdraw from Al-Ghazzawiyah crossing between Idlib and Afrin". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 18 June 2022. https://www.syriahr.com/en/256361/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Factional rivalry and infighting - Tahrir Al-Sham and Ahrar Al-Sham control several areas in "Olive Branch" areas amid negotiations to restore the status quo ante". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 19 June 2022. https://www.syriahr.com/en/256375/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "At Turkish orders - HTS withdraws from Afrin to areas in Idlib". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 19 June 2022. https://www.syriahr.com/en/256441/.
- ↑ Al-Khalidi, Suleiman (19 June 2022). "Truce ends clashes among Turkey-backed rebels in northwest Syria". https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/truce-ends-clashes-among-turkey-backed-rebels-northwest-syria-2022-06-19/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Death toll update - Four people, including little girl and child, killed and 11 civilians injured in ongoing fierce clashes among Ankara-backed factions in"safe zone" in Aleppo countryside". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 19 June 2022. https://www.syriahr.com/en/256421/.
- ↑ "Afrin - Clashes renew between "3rd Corps" and "Ahrar Al-Sham" in Al-Bab countryside in light of deployment of "Tahrir Al-Sham and Ahrar Al-Sham" militiamen". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 19 June 2022. https://www.syriahr.com/en/256389/.
- ↑ Farouq Hamo (18 June 2022). "SNA Factions Close Crossings Link Their Areas Of Control To Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Areas". North Press Agency. https://npasyria.com/en/79241/.
- ↑ "After HTS withdrawal - Ahrar Al-Sham attacks Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah bases in Al-Bab". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 19 June 2022. https://www.syriahr.com/en/256456/.
The original article can be found at 2022 Ahrar al-Sham–Levant Front clashes and the edit history here.