Russian airstrikes kill two, injure nine in Afrin

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Russian airstrikes on Sunday killed two members of a Turkish-backed group called Souqour al-Shamal in Afrin, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

A total of two members of the group were killed, while nine were injured in Russian air strikes north of Qatma village in the Sharan district in the Afrin countryside in north-western countryside of Aleppo.

Moreover, Russian strikes also hit the Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah headquarters.

The Russian strikes come a day after a ceasefire deal between Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and the Third Corps, after days of fighting between Turkish-backed groups allied to HTS and the HTS, and opposed to HTS.

Read More: HTS partially withdraws from Afrin after ceasefire deal

Since the deal, peace has returned to Turkish-controlled territories. Although there are still fears among opposition activists that the HTS might enter Azaz. 

With the news that Tahrir al-Sham was going to enter Azaz, those who demonstrated against them blocked the passage of the Turkish army convoy. Azaz people think that Turkey has remained silent against Tahrir al-Sham, and for this reason, they are angry with Turkey. pic.twitter.com/YUyGP9BsZP

— Levent Kemal (@leventkemaI) October 16, 2022

On Sunday evening, protesters blocked a Turkish convoy after rumours that the HTS would try to enter Azaz.

Turkey and its Syrian militia proxies invaded Afrin in early 2018 in Operation Olive Branch.

As a result of the infighting, the HTS for the first time could enter Afrin city that was under the control by Turkish-backed factions since Turkey and it's proxy forces took over Afrin in 2018.

Syrian territories controlled by Turkey have been plagued by infighting by rebel groups and indiscriminate bombings.