Clashes erupt between SNA, Kurdish forces in Aleppo
ALEPP, Syria (North Press) – Heavy clashes erupted on Sunday between Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), and Kurdish forces in areas of the northern countryside of Aleppo.
Local sources told North Press that “intense” clashes have been ongoing since the early morning hours in the villages of Herbel, Maraanaz, Shaala, Shawargha, and al-Malikiyeh in the northern countryside of Aleppo, locally known as Shahba region.
Since Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” in 2018, the Turkish-backed SNA factions have held control over Afrin, resulting in the displacement of approximately 300,000 Kurdish residents. Those people have been taking shelter in Shahba region.
On Saturday, the SNA announced the start of a military operation in the northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo.
Artillery shelling targeted areas around the town of Tel Rifaat, and media platforms affiliated with the SNA reported that clashes were taking place near the town.
The region is home to tens of thousands of displaced residents from Afrin, who reside in five camps located in Tel Rifaat and surrounding villages in northern rural Aleppo.