Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
Syrian government troops have engaged in fierce clashes with Turkish military forces near Syria’s key border town of Ra’s al-Ayn in the northeastern province of Hasakah – a day after a similar incident claimed the lives of seven Syrian soldiers and left several others injured.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that the fighting took place in the village of Tel al-Ward on Wednesday afternoon. There were no immediate reports about possible casualties.
#عاجل || #سانا
مراسل سانا: اشتباكات عنيفة بين الجيش العربي السوري وقوات الاحتلال التركي في تل الورد بريف رأس العين.— سانا عاجل (@SanaAjel) October 30, 2019
SANA added that Turkish forces and their allied militants have occupied the villages of Mahmoudiyah and Darbou in the countryside of Ra’s al-Ayn. A large number of residents of Tel al-Ward are also leaving the area in the wake of Turkish aggression.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Tuesday that at least seven Syrian army soldiers had been killed and 14 others injured when fierce exchanges of gunfire broke out between government troops on one hand and Turkish military forces and their allied militants on the other near Ra’s al-Ayn.
The Observatory said Turkish-backed militants, under the cover of heavy and violent Turkish firepower and backed by Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles, engaged in skirmishes with Syrian army troops in the areas of al-Arishah, Bab al-Khair, and Um Oshbah.
The development came only two days after a similar encounter near Ra’s al-Ayn.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported the fighting on Sunday afternoon, saying that the clashes took place after the area came under attack from the Turkish side.
#عاجل ||#سانا
مراسل سانا: اشتباكات بين وحدات #الجيش_العربي_السوري وقوات الاحتلال التركي بريف #رأس_العين— سانا عاجل (@SanaAjel) October 27, 2019
#عاجل ||#سانا
مراسل سانا: اشتباكات بين وحدات #الجيش_العربي_السوري وقوات الاحتلال التركي بريف #رأس_العين— سانا عاجل (@SanaAjel) October 27, 2019
Three days earlier, Turkish forces and their allies had attacked Syrian government troops in northeastern Syria.
SANA said the allies attacked Syrian army positions outside the town of Tal Tamr.
#عاجل || #سانا
مراسل سانا في #الحسكة: #الجيش_العربي_السوري يتصدى لهجوم قوات #الاحتلال_التركي ومرتزقتها على قرى #الكوزلية و #تل_اللبن بريف #تل_تمر— سانا عاجل (@SanaAjel) October 24, 2019
On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed a memorandum of understanding, where they asserted that YPG militants must withdraw from the Turkish-controlled “safe zone” in northeastern Syria within 150 hours, after which period Ankara and Moscow will run joint patrols around the area.
The announcement was made hours before a US-brokered five-day truce between Turkish and Kurdish-led forces was due to expire.
On October 9, Turkish military forces and Ankara-backed militants launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeastern Syria in a declared attempt to push militants from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) away from border areas.
The announcement was made hours before a US-brokered five-day truce between Turkish and Kurdish-led forces was due to expire.
On October 9, Turkish military forces and Ankara-backed militants launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeastern Syria in a declared attempt to push militants from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) away from border areas.
