Residents in north Syria grow angry at Turkish-backed rebels over rise in bombings
The wave of assassinations reflects the failure of the Turkish-backed opposition factions to secure the area in north Syria, while their members are accused of facilitating these operations by turning a blind eye on smuggling operations from regime and Kurdish-held areas.
Citizens in the areas held by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in north Syria have been living in a state of fear in the past weeks amid the repeated bombings targeting populated areas, markets and neighborhoods. The blasts have become more intense recently, mainly targeting SNA leaders.
Most recently, on Feb. 22, Muhammad Mustafa al-Hussein, leader of al-Jabha al-Shamiya (Levant Front) affiliated with the SNA, was killed in a car bomb attack in the city of Azaz. After the explosion, the military police found and removed another car bomb in Iman camp, north of Azaz city.
Previously, two leaders of the SNA-affiliated Third Legion were killed in separate incidents. An explosive device planted in the car of Muhammad Abdel Nasser al-Sidawi in al-Bab killed him Feb. 17. Fadi Hussein al-Khatib, public relations officer at Suqour al-Sham Brigades (Hawks of the Levant), was killed by a car bomb near a military station in the heart of al-Bab city the next day.
A number of bombings targeted in January several parts of Aleppo countryside, killing soldiers and civilians. On Jan. 13, a suicide bombing left three people wounded in al-Bab city center, followed shortly after by an explosion in the city of Afrin, north of Aleppo. The simultaneous attacks came only hours after an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a military police car in the city of Azaz.
