MESOP News Roundup: Thursday, August 6 – Amidst talk of ‘safe zone,’ Nusra hands over Aleppo territory

WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA)Jabhat a-Nusra handed over several regions in the northern Aleppo countryside to Ahrar a-Sham al-Islamiya and other rebel brigades ahead of the proposed establishment of a US-Turkish safe zone in the area, a citizen journalist from the area told Syria Direct Thursday.

Nusra’s “quiet withdrawal” from Hour Kilis, Ghazal and other regions on Wednesday “points to the fact that the [establishment of the] safe zone has drawn near,” said Wael Adil. Jabhat a-Nusra agreed with opposition brigades in a meeting Wednesday to hand over its military posts in Aleppo province along the front with the Islamic State, as well as the city of Azaz, 6km away from the Bab a-Salama border crossing with Turkey, reported pro-opposition Masar Press Wednesday. Turkish and American officials revealed a plan late last month to create an approximately 97km “safe zone” along the Turkish border, free of the Islamic State and controlled by moderate Syrian rebels backed by American air support. Exact details of the plan, including how far the safe zone would extend into Syria, have yet to be disclosed. Turkey will allow neither Jabhat a-Nusra nor Ahrar a-Sham to be present in the safe zone, an unnamed Turkish official was quoted by pan-Arab daily a-Sharq al-Awsat as saying Monday.