Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has denied accusations of its involvement in the clash in the city of Afrin, north of Aleppo province, amidst tensions in the region following anti-Turkey protests.
In a statement today, Tuesday, July 2, Enab Baladi obtained a copy, the HTS said that the reports of its involvement in armed clashes and sending reinforcements to northern Aleppo countryside are “rumors” and outright denied their involvement in the events that took place in the area.
The statement from the HTS called for not being swayed by “rumors without clear purpose or objective.”
Tahrir al-Sham stated that it values the demands of the local community for their rights through peaceful means, but at the same time called for “wisdom to prevail and calm to ensure the interests of our great revolution and our people in the liberated areas.”
The Amjad Media Foundation, affiliated with Tahrir al-Sham, quoted its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, as saying that “expressing the demands of the revolution and rejecting what contradicts its goals must be done wisely and consciously, away from harming its values and tarnishing its image within Syria and abroad.”
Al-Jolani called for considering the strategic interest of the image and not being swayed by what he described as “suspicious movements” that have continued for months in northwestern Syria, considering that they have taken a path that harms “our revolution’s alliances and interests primarily, especially with Turkey.”
During the protests in northern Aleppo countryside cities against Turkey, news accounts on the Telegram app (commonly used in the area) reported that security members from Tahrir al-Sham took down the Turkish flag from a military police checkpoint in Afrin.
Cities and towns in northwestern Syria witnessed a state of anger and protest yesterday, Monday, after assaults targeted Syrian refugees and their properties in the Kayseri province of Turkey.
Protesters gathered at the Bab al-Salameh crossing and prevented Turkish trucks and vehicles from entering. Enab Baladi‘s correspondent in the area reported that Turkish employees’ cars were attacked and vandalized as they exited the city of Azaz towards the crossing.
Over time, the protest movement turned into armed clashes in the city of Afrin, where unknown gunmen clashed with Turkish forces in the city center, resulting in casualties and injuries. Turkey deployed riot police to northern Syria to contain the protests.
Today, Tuesday, the Military Police belonging to the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) controlling the area, announced that four people were killed during clashes in a protest in the city of Afrin in northern Aleppo countryside, without clarifying the nature of their deaths or the responsible party.
The Military Police requested residents not to turn funerals into opportunities for provocative actions.
According to the statement, the Military Police will take the necessary measures to maintain the area’s security and calm, calling to avoid being led by these “seditions.”