The National Front for Liberation, a military opposition coalition, and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham/HTS bombarded bridges and dismantled railways in Hama, Idlib, and Aleppo for military purposes, according to testimonies obtained by STJ.
On September 5, 2018 the National Front for Liberation bombarded al-Tuwayni Bridge that links the rebel-held al-Tuwayni village to the Regime-held al-Hurra and al-Khandaq villages, northwestern Hama.
Al-Tuwayni Bridge in Sahl al-Ghab, Hama after being bombarded by the National Front for Liberation bombarded on September 5, 2018. Photo credit: local activists
The National Front for Liberation also bombarded Bait al-Ras Bridge that links the opposition-held Bait al-Ras village to the regime-held al-Jayyid village on August 31, 2018. In addition to bombarding al-Sharia Bridge that links the two villages al-Sharia and the Regime-held al-Kareem.
Bait al-Ras and al-Sharia bridges in Sahl al-Ghab after being bombarded by the National Front for Liberation on August 31, 2018.
Photo credit: Local activists
Bombardment of the three bridges came in the wake of statements issued by the Syrian regular forces on its impending ground offensive against Sahl al-Ghab. Bombardment of the bridges, however, triggered the outrage of the residents and the local councils, given that blocked farmers back and forth to their farms adjacent to the bridges and prevented the movement of estimated 50,000 civilians throughout Sahl al-Ghab. Nine villages were directly affected by the bombardment; Qabr Fidda, al-Ramlah, al-Tamanah, al-Kareem, al-Drableh, al-Ashrafiya, al-Hakoura, al-Tuwayni Bridge, and al-Tuwayni.
Local activists published a footage, on August 30, 2018, showing a tunnel recently dug by a military faction and the use of railway pieces in constructing it. Other activists, on the other hand, reported that the pieces used, girders and those in the roof, shown in the footage were dismantled gradually by HTS. STJ could not verify the filming location nor the identities of the persons appeared in the video.
A still taken from the footage published by local activists on August 30, 2018, showing pieces of the railway used to strengthen the tunnel.
Mohammed Saied, a media activist and member of Jabhat al-Nusra Violations Documentation Team in Syria, stated that HTS had progressively dismantled the railway, as on August 6, 2018, HTS issued a decision to dismantle the railway connecting Kafar Yahmoule village to Kafr Halab in Aleppo. Earlier on May 15, 2018, HTS had dismantled the one in Sahl al-Roj in Idlib, and on February 12, 2018, it dismantled the one that links Kafr Halab to al-Zerbah Station.
A decision issued by HTS on hiring someone to dismantle a railway.
Photo credit: local activists
Saied indicated that they managed to take footages and photos of HTS agents while dismantling the railway.
HTS agents dismantling a railway between Kafr Halab and al-Zerbah villages, southern Aleppo.
Published on February 12, 2018 by Jabhat al-Nusra Violations Documentation Team in Syria.