Syrian opposition accuses Kurdish forces of booby-trapping fuel trucks
The Syrian armed opposition factions are accusing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces of planting explosive devices in fuel-laden trucks along the border with the opposition areas to prevent smuggling of fuel.
The areas under the control of the Syrian opposition in north Syria are facing a fuel crisis as a result of the frequent rise in fuel prices, which has led to an influx of oil smuggled from areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). After explosive devices targeted the routes commonly used for smuggling, the opposition has pointed the finger at the SDF, which it says is doing this as a means of cracking down on unauthorized fuel sales.
During this time of the year, there is an increase in demand for diesel, most commonly used for heating.
Two companies are currently competing for fuel supply in the opposition-held areas: the Watad Petrol owned by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Idlib, and Imdad that is owned by factions affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the countryside of Idlib.
Fuel supplies entering these areas are divided into two groups. First, there is the supplies imported from Turkey, which include gas, petrol and diesel, and enter through the Bab al-Hawa crossing under HTS control in northwest of Idlib. The prices of these fuel supplies are affected by the exchange rate of the dollar against the Turkish lira.
