Areas in northwestern Syria witnessed a partial interruption in communication and electricity services, as well as the closure of crossings with Turkey after protests erupted on Monday, July 1st.

The Bab al-Hawa border crossing, which links Idlib with Turkey, announced the suspension of movement for travelers, patients, and commercial trucks today, Tuesday. It stated that an announcement would be made if operations resume later.

As for the crossings connecting rural Aleppo with Turkey, the Jarablus crossing stopped its operations until further notice, before later announcing that individuals whose permits expired today could cross from Syria to Turkey.

Qasem al-Qasem, the director of the Bab al-Salameh crossing, told Enab Baladi that the crossing is closed to all Syrians with permits from the crossing for all medical, relief, and military activities, allowing only Turkish citizens and individuals with Turkish nationality to leave.

Sources from the Tal Abyad crossing in northern Raqqa informed Enab Baladi that it is still operational today but at a slow pace.

The al-Rai crossing has not announced any measures on its official channels.

Additionally, the Ghazawiya and Deir Ballut crossings, which connect areas in rural Aleppo controlled by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) with areas controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Idlib, have been closed, according to an Enab Baladi correspondent.

Partial service interruption

Yesterday’s protests were followed by a cut in internet and electricity services in the areas of the protests, which gradually returned. Communication networks, however, are still below their usual levels before the protests in various cities in rural Aleppo.

The northwestern Syria region relies on Turkey for communication and electricity services through companies and investors.

Yesterday, protests erupted in the cities of Azaz, Afrin in rural Aleppo, Tal Abyad in northern Raqqa, Ras al-Ain in northwestern al-Hasakah, and Idlib city, in response to attacks on Syrians in Turkey.

Protesters in Azaz headed to the Bab al-Salameh crossing, preventing the entry of Turkish trucks and cars. Turkish employees’ vehicles were attacked and smashed, and clashes occurred near Turkish military points in the Afrin and al-Atarib areas.

Today, the Military Police affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) stated in a statement that four people were killed in clashes in Afrin, without clarifying the nature of their deaths or identifying the responsible party.

The Military Police requested residents not to turn funeral ceremonies into opportunities for provocative actions.

According to military observatories and news pages in northern Syria, the individuals were killed by targeting from Turkish military points, with reports of injuries, but no official medical statistics have been provided.

Various areas in rural Aleppo saw the Turkish flag being taken down from some government institutions, the closure of Turkish postal and shipping centers “PTT,” and Turkish military vehicles being pelted with stones.