Al-Qaeda's Syria branch, the Nusra Front, stormed on Tuesday al-Khuyan village in Idleb countryside using armored tanks, according to a well-informed source.
Militants stormed the town’s main currency exchange market, confiscating up to a million dollars that belonged to a trader who lived in a regime-held area. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the currency trader comes from Hama city.
Clashes broke out between the money changers and Nusra fighters resulting in the deaths of 10 traders. Iqtissad listened to voice recordings that included conversations between the traders regarding the incident but the source requested the information not be published.
The village of al-Khuyan, on the border between Idleb and Hama, is considered part of Idleb’s “liberated” countryside, and houses markets for exchanging products, fuels, cigarettes, as well as gold and US dollars between areas under regime control in Hama and the liberated areas in Idleb.
According to the source, Nusra confiscated over $900,000 as well as a car from individuals dealing with the trader.
In the wake of the fighting, armed militants allied to a former parliamentary member tried to storm al-Khuyan village but the attempt failed. Al-Khuyan remains under the control of multiple opposition factions.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
