On September 13, 2018, the Sham Legion, affiliated with the armed Syrian opposition, arrested 20 persons in the town of Urum al-Kubra, western rural Aleppo, on the charges of promoting for conducting reconciliation deals with the Syrian government, to release five of them at a later date, according to a testimony obtained by Syrians for Truth and Justice/STJ.
On September 20, 2018, the local activist Abu al-Joud al-Halabi, based in the town of Urum al-Kubra, told STJ that elements of the Sham Legion raided houses of under surveillance-persons and arrested 20, while seven others managed to escape, on the charges of “destroying the civilians’ morale and calling for a national reconciliation with the regime.”
The legion led the detainees to an affiliate central prison in the town of Kafr Naha, where they will be brought before a military tribunal, the activist added, pointing out that the Sham Legion has released five of the detainees, who were not convicted for the charges against them after the legion subjected them to investigation.
The detainees are from the village of Birnah, the city of Aleppo and the town of Urum al-Kubra, three of whom belong to the Sham legion and are all former convicts who have been placed under surveillance, according to Abu al-Joud.
Local media outlets[1] have published information about the National Front for Liberation’s [2]arrest of more than 30 persons in eastern rural Idlib on similar charges, promotion for reconciliations with the regime, where the arrest campaign targeted the villages of al-Braisah, Tal al-Shieh, Halbeh, al-Diar al-Sharqi/Eastern al-Dair and Tal al-Shaikh in eastern rural Idlib, six of whom surrendered themselves in the village of al-Mueaysrouneh.
[1] “National Liberation Front arrests dozens of people in Eastern Idlib for promoting reconciliations”, Smart News, August 28, 2018, last visit: February 12, 2019. https://smartnews-agency.com/ar/wires/320236/.
[2] The foundation of the National Front of Liberation was announced on May 28, 2018, and it consists of the following armed groups: Jaysh al-Nasr/Army of Victory, Free Idlib Army, Jaysh al-Izza/Army of Glory, Second Army, Liwa al-Arba’in/Fortieth Brigade, First Infantry Battalion, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya and the Sham legion.