Syria Border Crossing Closed Again

— The Abu al-Zandin crossing in Aleppo province, a significant link between government and opposition-held territories, was closed again on Tuesday following violent protests and artillery shelling. The crossing had been closed since 2020 and was briefly reopened on Sunday for a trial run, which was met with immediate opposition protests. Local activists reported that the crossing was targeted by artillery fire from an unknown source on both Monday and Tuesday, leading to heightened tensions in the area. The reopening attempt sparked anger among residents of the opposition-controlled region, who viewed it as a potential normalization of relations with the government of President Bashar Assad. Protests erupted, including a sit-in organized by local activists, reflecting widespread discontent with the perceived implications of the crossing's reopening. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, confirmed the shelling incidents but could not identify the perpetrators. An official from the Turkish-backed opposition government acknowledged plans to reopen the crossing but insisted it did not signify a move toward reconciliation with Damascus. Speaking anonymously, the official emphasized that the opening of crossings, whether for commercial or humanitarian purposes, should not be conflated with normalization efforts. He pointed to existing crossings between areas controlled by Ankara and those governed by Syrian Kurdish authorities as examples of functional routes that do not imply political alignment. The ongoing civil war in Syria, now in its 14th year, has resulted in nearly half a million deaths and displaced half of the prewar population of 23 million, severely damaging infrastructure across both government and opposition-held regions.