HTS Repels SDF Infiltration Attempt in Northwestern Aleppo

Last month on July 30, a confrontation unfolded in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo as a brigade from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), aligned with the Fath Mubeen Operations Room (FMOR), successfully repelled an infiltration attempt by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The clash occurred along the Kabashin axis, an area near the dividing line between territories controlled by HTS and the Syrian National Army (SNA).

According to a field statement released by the Northern Operations Command (NOC), the SDF militia attempted to infiltrate HTS positions through a valley between Kabashin and Fafertin. The SDF forces were lured into a trap, resulting in significant casualties among the infiltrating group.

The situation escalated when a second attempt occurred early this morning, after midnight on August 18, when additional SDF groups, with support from Assad regime forces, attempted another infiltration on the same axis. The regime’s forces provided cover for the SDF’s advance, underscoring a high level of coordination between the SDF and Assad’s military, a collaboration that has been increasingly noted by many revolutionary factions. The attack happened in the western outskirts of Nubul-Zahraa, which is held by Assad regime forces, indicating a high level of collaboration with Assad’s forces.

The attempted infiltration was detected by HTS fighters from the Saad ibn Abi Waqas Brigade, who, along with other factions of FMOR, engaged the SDF using various weapons. The ensuing battle lasted over three hours, during which HTS forces targeted SDF positions with mortar fire and heavy machine guns, inflicting further casualties on the attackers.

While HTS managed to repel the SDF forces, the clashes resulted in the death of an HTS member, identified as Abdo Mahmoud Owusu, displaced from Hayyan. The confrontation ended with HTS maintaining control of their positions, but the incident highlights the ongoing volatility in the region.

The infiltration attempt by the SDF comes amid a broader military escalation in northern Syria, particularly between the SDF and the SNA. This escalation coincides with growing speculation about a potential rapprochement between Turkey and the Assad regime – a development that could dramatically alter the political and military landscape in the region.

The SDF, which views itself as vulnerable to any Turkish-Assad regime alliance, has responded to these diplomatic maneuvers with a series of attacks on SNA positions in northern Aleppo. Analysts suggest that the SDF’s actions are a “strategic response” to the potential threat posed by closer Ankara-Damascus ties, which both parties might pursue under the banner of “combating terrorism.”

The recent infiltration attempt, and the subsequent clashes in northern Syria, highlight the complex and overlapping interests of regional powers in the region. The situation remains fluid, with military operations between the SDF and the SNA, potential Turkish-Assad regime rapprochement, and Turkish actions against the PKK all contributing to an increasingly volatile environment.