Afrin: Deployment of points for the elements of Tahrir al-Sham and their integration into the ranks of the armed factions

There are conflicting reports about the presence of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in Afrin, after some parties loyal to the Third Corps and al-Jabha al-Shamiya, who were expelled from the city, claimed that the group had withdrawn from Afrin and retreated towards its former military points around the city, while Aso News Network obtained information from inside Afrin confirming the presence of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in the city and its villages, especially those villages under the control of the al-Amshat and al-Hamzat factions.

The elements of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham joined the ranks of the factions of the Syrian National Army, and they wore the uniforms of the members of these factions, with the intention of camouflaging their presence within the city of Afrin.

According to what the sources revealed, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham replaced all security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the city with members wearing blue hats, believed to be affiliated with the security forces of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, with the absence of members of the armed factions that were harassing passers-by, searching cars and arresting Kurdish youth under false accusations and pretexts.

What raises questions is: Has Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham now in control of the entire city of Afrin alongside the factions of the National Army, which took a position of neutrality when Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham attacked the city, and the factions of the Third Corps and al-Jabha al-Shamiya, who did not agree to the advance of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham?

So far, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has not established any clear military points or centers for it, nor has it raised its flags over buildings and military points. Rather, its presence is limited to the factions of the National Army and within its military headquarters only.

Afrin residents say that there has been no attack on the part of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham against the people residing in the city, with the exception of some settlers and gunmen supporting the two factions of al-Jabha al-Shamiya and the Third Corps, who moved to the city of Azaz.

It is scheduled to remove all military headquarters from Afrin, integrate all factions into the three corps into the pro-Turkish National Army, and prevent the use of weapons between residential neighborhoods, according to the agreement that took place several days ago in the city of Gaziantep between the Turkish Minister of Defense, the President of the Syrian Interim Government, and the leaders of the Third corps in National Army.