Turkey helps militants in northern Syria with large-caliber artillery fire

27.12.2020, Damascus.

Large-caliber Turkish artillery supported the attack of the fighters from the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition groups on the positions of the Kurds from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Rossa Primavera News Agency’s source in Syria informed on December 26.

According to the source, the militants of Ahrar al-Sham (organization banned Russia) attacked the SDF positions in the area of al-Musheyrifa village near the town of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa. To support the militants, Turkish artillery shelled the area with 155mm guns.

The escalation between the militants of the Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian opposition and the SDF began a week ago in Syria along the entire line of contact between the sides. The confrontation reached its highest intensity in the area of the important town of Ain Issa on the M4 highway. The combat in the area of Ain Issa has been going on for a week now and dozens of families had to leave their homes to avoid being hit by shelling and exchanges of fire.

Background

On October 9, 2019, Turkey started Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria to the east of the Euphrates River against the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to Ankara, the operation aimed at displacing the Kurds from a 30 to 40 km buffer zone along the entire Syrian-Turkish border to the east of the Euphrates River to be followed by moving Syrian refugees, who had fled to the Turkish territory from the hostilities, to this area.

As strike units, Turkey used Syrian opposition groups controlled by Ankara. Turkish military commanded these militants, and the Turkish army supported them with artillery and air force. The groups remained on the territories occupied in the operation.

At talks in Sochi on October 22, 2019 Russia and Turkey reached a ceasefire agreement. However, the pro-Turkish militants have repeatedly violated it, shelling the positions of the Kurds in the provinces of Raqqa and Al-Hasakah. SDF often fires back. Therefore, the situation in the Operation Peace Spring zone is far from peaceful.

Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency

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