On Thursday, May 20, a convoy from Umm Batinah which included several buses carrying 30 families, about 100 people, including women, children, elderly, and youth, left the town in Quneitra to Northern Aleppo. Upon their arrival at Abu al-Zendin crossing to enter the city of al-Bab, they were prevented from entering by the National Army which controls the area under the pretext that the displacement was not coordinated with Turkey.
The anger of the people of the city of al-Bab, who went out in protest trying to pressure the National Army into accepting the families in the city, led the Turkish authorities to accept them in towards Idlib province.
On Friday, after being stranded at the border crossing for around 30 hours, the Syrian Salvation Government, which governs Idlib, announced its readiness to receive the displaced families in Idlib. “Our position towards those fleeing the hell of the criminal regime will never change, the Syrian Salvation Government is ready to receive and serve them”, said Muhammad Salem Director of Public Relations in the Syrian Salvation Government.
At last, the displaced people from the town of Umm Batinah arrived in Idlib, on Saturday morning. Upon their arrival, the families were greeted by Professor Abu Khaled al-Khalidi, a member of the “General Shura Council” of the Quneitra Governorate, representatives from the Ministry of Development, and Humanitarian Affairs of the Salvation Government, and a number of notables from Idlib.
As promised the SSG helped the displaced families by providing them with shelters in the town of Deir Hassan.
Since the start of the month, regime forces have been threatening to storm the town of Umm Batinah after unknown assailants attacked a regime military checkpoint near the town, resulting in several casualties and injuries. After rounds of negotiations between notables from Umm Batinah and the Russian occupation, on May 15 they came to the agreement that 30 people and their families from the town will be deported towards the liberated north on Thursday, May 20.
