ALEPPO, Syria — Tension has escalated in recent days in al-Bab city in Aleppo’s eastern countryside after a group of armed men belonging to the Hamza Division, affiliated with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), raided the home of an official from the narcotics division of the police forces and national general security, also backed by Turkey.
The Sept. 13 raid raised popular anger and sparked angry protests in the streets of al-Bab, with some protesters burning tires and demanding that the aggressors and the group they belong to, which is known for drug trade in the area, be held accountable.
