Aleppo's anti-Turkish, SNA protests spark state of emergency

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Mar 2024 14:10

A recent visit of Turkish officials to "Syrian National Army" militants in northern Aleppo led to outrage as protesters closed off a road leading to a planned dinner spot.

"Syrian National Army" militants man a checkpoint in the Tal Battal area near al-Bab city, in northern Aleppo, Syria, on September 26, 2023. (AFP)

The so-called "Ministry of Defense" affiliated with the "Interim Government emanating from the Syrian opposition coalition" said that a state of emergency that it imposed on Sunday has ended.

The "Ministry" asked the three groups affiliated with the Turkish-backed "Syrian National Army" to return to their posts after a group of militants, which intercepted the envoy of the coalition's president and the president of the so-called interim government, was turned in.

The incident that spurred the state of emergency occurred in the town of Sejjou in northern Aleppo near the Syrian-Turkish border. The so-called interim government mobilized more than 30 thousand militants in response to the event. The "Defense Ministry" also released the names of 20 people whom it demanded turn themselves into the "Military Police" while deploying forces all across its areas of control in northern Aleppo.

On Sunday, a number of demonstrators stopped the envoy who was heading toward an Iftar banquet in the countryside of A'zaz. Militant leaders had planned to meet with a number of Turkish officials and other terrorists in Sejou, however, protesters blocked the road leading into the town and chanted against the "coalition government".

Militants accompanying the envoy began to fire their rifles attempting to intimidate and disperse protesters, but they failed to do so as the convoy rerouted and headed to al-Bab city.

In the same context, the al-Shami Front deployed its forces in the area to reopen the road, while accusing groups affiliated with the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terror organization of organizing the protest and disguising themselves in civilian clothing.

Activists clarified that protesters rejected the delegation's visit, as its main objective was to draft a new list of fighters from the "Syrian National Army" to send to Turkish bases in Libya, Niger, and Azerbaijan.

It is worth noting that a week ago, the region under militant control witnessed intense clashes between militants from the US-backed "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) and the Turkish-backed "Syrian National Army" (SNA).

According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, SNA militants announced that they confronted two infiltration attempts by SDF militants in the Baraj Hadir axis in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo and the southern axis of A'zaz.