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Turkish warplanes launched raids on the village of Sidon, near the city of Ain Issa, which is under the control of Kurdish forces in northern Syria, while battles between the two sides escalated on the ground in the vicinity of the strategic city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said these raids are the first of their kind since Operation Peace Spring 17 months ago.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Turkish warplanes launched raids on Saturday night, Sunday, in an area controlled by Kurdish forces in North SyriaIt was the first in 17 months.
The observatory said: “A Turkish fighter plane targeted military sites For the Syrian Democratic Forces In the village of Saida, in the Ain Issa countryside, north of Raqqa.
The director of the observatory, Rami Abd al-Rahman, explained to Agence France-Presse that these are “the first Turkish airstrikes since Operation Peace Fountain” launched by Ankara and pro-Syrian factions in October 2019 against the Syrian Democratic Forces. in northern Syria.
This process, which was halted after two agreements negotiated by Ankara with Washington and later with Moscow, had allowed Turkey to control border areas with a length of about 120 km and a depth of 30 km.
But Ain Issa and its surroundings remained in the hands of the Kurdish forces.
These raids occurred during battles on the outskirts of this strategic region, according to the observatory.
Abdul Rahman said: “Clashes have been going on between the two sides for 24 hours … until now, the Turkish forces have failed to advance, while the Syrian Democratic Forces have managed to destroy a Turkish tank.”
Ankara is considered the backbone of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) For the Syrian Democratic ForcesAn extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey and its western allies classify as a “terrorist” organization.
But these Kurdish forces were also the spearhead of the battles with the “Islamic State” in Syria, with the support of the international coalition against the jihadists led by Washington.
Since 2016, Ankara has carried out three military operations to stop the regional expansion of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, targeting ISIS and Kurdish fighters.
Ankara took control of more than 2,000 square kilometers in northern Syria, especially the city of Afrin, one of the regions of the Kurdish Autonomous Administration declared in 2016.
Turkish military operations targeting the YPG have strained relations between Ankara and some Western countries, especially the United States and France.
France 24 / AFP
