Afrinpost – Special
As a result of its regional differences, confrontations and disputes are erupted from time to time between the militants of the Islamic militias affiliated with the Turkish occupation and the Muslim Brotherhood on the one hand, and some settlers from different environments of the militants who may clash with them on the other hand.
In this context, the Afrinpost correspondent said that violent clashes erupted between the “Hamza” militia on the one hand and the “Ahrar al-Sham” militia on the other hand, this afternoon, Thursday, in the Mahmudiyah neighborhood of the occupied center of Afrin region, which resulted in the death of an armed man from Al-Hamza militia and two children, wounded ten others.
The reporter stated that an armed man from the “Al Hamza” militia threw a grenade at a shop run by a settler from Al-Gouta close to the “Ahrar Al Sham” militia, due to the latter’s refusal to sell him foodstuffs in debt, which led to the intervention of an armed group from “Eastern Ghouta” and affiliated with the militia. Ahrar al-Sham, ”after which clashes erupted between the two parties, while tension continues to exist alongside the shooting of bullets in the neighborhood.
The reporter added Jaish Al-Islam militia (the majority of whose fighters are from Damascus countryside) had joined the fighting alongside the Ahrar al-Sham militia against “Hamza” militia (the majority of whose militants are from the northern countryside of Aleppo).
Pointing out that the clashes led to the control of the militia (Ahrar al-Sham Jaish al-Islam) on two military headquarters of the “Hamza” militia near the Asayish building previously, noting that the “Hamza” militia had sent supporters from the village of “Marteh / Ma’ariyat” near the center, to the area of the clashes to support their militants in Al-Mahmoudiyah neighborhood, tension continues with the Military Police militia mediating the containment of the deteriorating situation.
In turn, the Syrian Observatory said that the fighting came after a military group affiliated to the militia of “Al-Hamza Squad” attempted to seize a commercial store. Its owner comes from Arabin area in Eastern Ghouta, and they tried to take some food without paying for it.
After the settler vendor refused this, they targeted his shop with a bomb, to develop the matter and turn into clashes with machine guns, between settlers from Eastern Ghouta and with the support of some “Ahrar al-Sham” militants, against the militia of the “Hamza Division” near Rajo Street in the city of Afrin.
According to the observatory, the fighting has resulted, at the moment, at least 8 wounded, in addition to the death of an armed man from Eastern Ghouta, and a child who died after being exposed to indiscriminate gunfire as a result of the clashes, while the city of Afrin is currently witnessing mobilization by the two parties, amid great public discontent.
