Syria Tightens Security at Checkpoints Around Aleppo During Eid al-Fitr

Syrian army and police have put enhanced security measures at the checkpoints at the entrance to the city of Aleppo during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations timed to the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, a Sputnik correspondent reported Tuesday.

ALEPPO (Syria) (Sputnik) – The officer reminded that the Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Aleppo would last for a week. The Syrian security services do not rule out the terror acts can be carried out during these days by the "sleeping" Daesh cells, Muhamedi noted.

"At the checkpoints at the entrance to Aleppo, the three-level checks of all those willing to enter the town are currently carried out," officer Al-Afar Muhamedi told journalists, adding that people usually spent from five to 30 minutes at the checkpoints.

In the first checkpoint zone, the checks are carried out by cynologists. A dog, presented to the Syrian military personnel by the Russian side, is among the dogs taking part in the checks.

As part of the security checks at the second zone, the personal belongings and cars of those entering the city are examined by the police, including with the use of gas analyzers. The second stage includes the personal details checks through the data bases with the use of computer, allowing identifying the people cooperating with the terrorists or those on wanted list.

The security checks procedures are standard for all the dozen checkpoints around Aleppo and the Syrians regard tightening the security measures with understanding, dog specialist Muhammad Farka said.

Since 2011, Syria has been suffering from the civil war between the government troops and various opposition and militants groups. Since 2012, Aleppo has been under control of the opposition forces. As a result of an offensive, the government troops regained control over the city in December 2016.