Troops of the Syrian transitional government have blocked a central route between Tabqa and Salamiyya. Hundreds of vehicles, including buses carrying students and sick people, are affected. No reason for the blockade has been given as yet.
On Sunday morning, troops of the Syrian transitional government blocked a central road connecting the city of Salamiyya in the interior of the country with the canton of Tabqa in northeastern Syria. The blockade affects the road via Athriya and Khanasser, which is considered a strategically important link between the areas of North and East Syria and the rest of the country.
The road has been used more frequently in recent days after government troops closed the route from Deir Hafir to Aleppo on September 27. Many travelers therefore took the longer route via Salamiyya to reach Aleppo.
However, traffic came to a standstill again in the morning. Dozens of buses and vehicles were stuck in a traffic jam at the southern entrance near Tabqa. According to drivers, units of the Islamist government in Damascus erected earth walls at several checkpoints to completely block the passage.
Hundreds of vehicles are still stuck in traffic. Many passengers are students on their way to university or patients, including cancer patients who wanted to receive medical treatment in Aleppo. No official information on the reasons for the closure was initially available.
