Syrian crossings reopen, freeing up flow of people, goods
The closed crossings that have separated Turkish-affiliated forces in Syria from those of the Kurds have reopened, allowing for trade and travel in those areas for the first time in months.
ALEPPO, Syria — Activity has gotten back to normal at two crossings linking areas in northeast Aleppo province controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with those held by armed opposition factions.
Civilian vehicles started passing through the Aoun al-Dadat crossing for passengers, north of Manbij, on Feb. 6, and trucks resumed activity Feb. 10 through Um Jalud crossing, which is limited to the transport of goods.
The Manbij-area Democratic Civil Administration ordered the crossing reopenings.
Four months earlier, the crossings had closed when the Turkish army, backed by the opposition’s Syrian National Army (SNA), launched an offensive Oct. 9 against the SDF, a Kurdish-Arab alliance, in northeast Aleppo. The opening of the crossings is supposed to boost trade and allow civilians to travel to and from the areas.
