Syria, Turkey Prepares 14,000 Terrorists for Imminent Military Operations Against Kurds

Fars News Agency – The Turkish Army has prepared thousands of militants for an upcoming military operation against the Kurdish militia is Eastern Syria, the Arabic-language media outlets reported. The pro-militant Arabic-language Qassiyoun news website quoted commander of the so-called National Army affiliated to the Turkish Army Yousef Hamoud as saying that a sum of 14,000 Ankara-backed terrorists are ready for imminent military operations in Eastern Syria.

Hamoud noted that the military offensive against the Kurdish militia will take place in line with political agreements reached between the US and Turkey. The Arabic-language website of the Russian Sputnik news agency quoted a Turkish military source as saying that Ankara’s military operations against Kurds will probably be conducted in coming days. Meantime, several militants were killed in a recent attack by the Turkish army and its affiliated militants on Kurdish militia positions in Northern Aleppo.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recent announced the start of a new round of military operations against Kurds in Eastern Syria in the near future, which he described as an extension of the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations. In a relevant development on Saturday, fierce clashes between the Turkish Army and the Kurdish militias intensified in Northern Aleppo and Hasaka as Turkey sent its special troops to the borders with Syria.

The pro-militant Step News website reported that the Turkish Army pounded the military points of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around the city of Qameshli in Northeastern Hasaka and near the border with Turkey. It noted that the attacks took place after the Kurdish militias attacked Turkey’s border checkpoint in Nasibin region along borders with Syria.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news website, meantime, reported that the Turkish Army and its allied militants pounded Tal Rafa’at and the towns of Balounieh, Harbal and Sheikh Issa in al-Shahba region in Northern Aleppo with tens of mortar attacks.

Meantime, two military points of the Turkish Army were destroyed while three Turkish soldiers were killed and four others were injured during two separate military offensives by the Kurdish militias. In a relevant development last Wednesday, the Turkish army and affiliated militants attacked Kurdish positions in Northern Aleppo amid sending new military convoys to the border with Syria.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that the Turkish forces targeted the Kurdish positions in the towns of Soqankeh, Miaseh and Zarnaiteh near Afrin region in Western Aleppo with over 180 mortar attacks. Also, the Turkish army and affiliated militants attacked the town of Harb and several nearby towns in al-Shahba region in Northern Aleppo with artillery fire.

Meantime, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that heavy clashes have erupted between the Ankara-backed terrorists and the Kurdish militia near the towns of Harbal and Sheikh Issa in Northern Aleppo.

Concurrent with the events, the Turkish army sent new military convoys, consisting of tens of vehicles carrying military equipment to the borders with Syria near the towns of Ra’as al-Ein and Tal Abyadh in Hasaka and Raqqa provinces. Also, the Arabic-language Step news website affiliated to militants reported that several Turkish reconnaissance planes have flown over the town of Manbij.

A senior Kurdish official warned on Monday that the US had given a greenlight to Turkey to attack Eastern Euphrates, calling on the Kurds to reach an agreement with the Syrian government as soon as possible.

Head of the Syrian Kurds’ National Initiative Omar Ousi told the Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper that the agreement between Washington and Ankara came amid Turkey’s claim that negotiations to create a safe region on Syrian soil have failed, adding that the content of the negotiations between the two sides differs from what has been stated by the Americans and Turks.

He noted that Turkey’s threats are very serious and dangerous this time, and said that Turkey’s plan in Northern Syria will possibly start soon from Manbij region and then will spread to Ein al-Arab, Ra’as al-Ein and adjacent areas. Ousi referred to the US attempts to pressure the SDF to accept Turkey’s plan, and said the US has started settlement of differences with Turkey.

He warned the SDF and the Kurdish units that negotiations between the US and Turkey have not failed, and asked the Kurds to stop relying on Washington and restart agreement talks with the Damascus government given the fact that they agreed on 6 issues out of 10 in the two rounds of talks held in the past.