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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Clashes erupt between security forces, locals in Syria's Azaz |
| 2026-07-20 |
| [Rudaw] Security forces clashed with locals in Syria's northwestern city of Azaz in Aleppo province on Saturday. Police said they came under gunfire while breaking up an armed clash. Footage published on social media platforms shows a convoy of security forces clashing with unidentified people in Azaz late Saturday. Some accounts claimed the fighting was between state-affiliated forces and an gang. Internal Security Forces said in a statement that they were not party to the conflict. "Patrol personnel handled the situation cautiously in accordance with approved procedures, while the Directorate sent additional security reinforcements to the area. Specialized units continue to handle the situation on the ground to ensure civilian protection and prevent the festivities from spreading," the force's branch in Azaz said in an overnight statement relayed by state media. It warned that any attack on security forces "will be prosecuted legally." Protests reportedly erupted in the city following the festivities and the deployment of more security forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitor that relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said the tensions followed a "security campaign against several wanted suspects in cases related to drug dealing." SOHR added that "armed festivities erupted with groups that refused to hand over a wanted suspect, amid extensive shooting in several neighbourhoods of the city." Azaz, near the Ottoman Turkish border in northern Aleppo province, was long a stronghold of the Ottoman Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and served as the group's de facto headquarters before its factions were folded into the new Syrian armed forces following the fall of the Assad government. Related: Azaz: 2026-01-29 Anti-Israel activists announce solidarity campaign with funders of Hamas jailed in US Azaz: 2025-12-11 Overview of the Kurdish Region According to the Map Azaz: 2025-10-03 Texas ICE raid arrests 41 illegal immigrants at Dallas strip club Chicas Bonitas Cabaret Related: Aleppo province: 2026-06-25 US military says it killed senior ISIS leader in airstrike on Syria last week Aleppo province: 2026-06-21 ISIS has resumed operations in Syria, claiming three attacks last week Aleppo province: 2026-03-23 Kurds abused, Kurdish flag insulted in northern Syria during Newroz: officials Related: Syrian National Army: 2026-07-10 The Syrian Army Reorganization: Five Regional Corps, the Same Jihadist Command Structure Syrian National Army: 2026-06-11 Uneasy Allies: The Real Relationship Between Turkey and Syria’s New Rulers Syrian National Army: 2026-01-01 Former ISIS operatives have joined the ranks of Hayat Tahrir al Sham to Tal Rifaat, Kafr Nasseh and Kafr Khasir in Aleppo |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #1 |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2026-07-20 03:59 |