afrinpost-exclusive
Fierce clashes broke out on the evening of Wednesday, October 16, between the “Suqour Al-Shamal Brigade” militia and the “Joint Forces” militia in the village of Gamrok in the Maabatli sub-district and the villages of Zaareh, Ali Karo and Sheikhorzeh in the Bulbul sub-district. The Joint Forces attempted to take control of Suqour Al-Shamal Brigade strongholds, resulting in the Joint Forces seizing Ali Karo village. The confrontations are expected to spread to other villages in the area, according to our correspondent.
Additionally, after intense fighting, the Joint Forces, along with the “Sultan Murad Division,” seized Suqour Al-Shamal Brigade headquarters in the village of Hawar Kilis, near Azaz. In the Jarabulus countryside, the Suqour Al-Shamal Brigade evacuated their headquarters in the village of Al-Ghandoura following heavy confrontations with the Joint Forces.
In retaliation, the “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiya” militia shelled Joint Forces positions with mortars in Hawar Kilis and launched attacks on their positions in the villages of Qatma, Kafr Jannah, Maryamin, and Maaraska in the Sharan sub-district in Afrin from the Azaz side. Concurrently, electricity and internet services were disrupted in parts of Azaz, Mare’, and Maryamin due to actions taken by Turkish forces in response to the clashes.
The ongoing violence has triggered significant displacement from camps in the villages of Qatma and Kafr Jannah, after an IDP woman was killed in a camp near Kafr Jannah due to the fighting.
Moreover, the Marah-Soran road was closed as a result of continuous fighting in the Hawar Kilis area of Azaz’s countryside.
As the conflict between Turkish-backed factions escalates, the humanitarian situation in Afrin’s countryside and northern Aleppo worsens. With deteriorating living conditions and ongoing displacement, the suffering of civilians continues to deepen in these regions.
