Turkey’s military reinforcements flowing to Syria’s north

ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Turkey continues to send military reinforcements, including tanks, ammunition and armored vehicles, to its military bases in areas held by Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), in the northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate.

A military source told North Press that a military convoy, including tanks, troop carriers and various ammunition passed on Monday through al-Rai crossing and headed to contact lines in the vicinity of the city of al-Bab, in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

On Saturday, Turkish forces sent more military reinforcements to al-Bab, which is the sixth one of its kind during July.

On July 19, a Turkish military convoy entered Syrian territory through al-Rai crossing and headed to al-Bab.

During the past eight days, areas in northern Syria witnessed an unprecedented escalation by Turkish forces and the SNA factions, using drones and artillery shells.

This escalation on Syrian north and northeast and contact lines as well, came after Turkey failed to obtain a green light by Iran and Russia, in Tehran Summit, to invade the region.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently announced plans to carry out another major military cross-border incursion into northern Syria. Erdogan specified his targets in the two northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.

On July 1, Erdogan said that Ankara’s new military operation in northern Syria could begin at any moment.

“The time has come to clear these lands from the terrorist organizations,” Erdogan threatened during Tehran Summit.

In response to these threats, the SDF Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said on July 15, “We accepted that the Syrian Army fortifies its posts in Kobani, Manbij and border areas in order to carry out its task to protect Syrian border, and we will do what is needed to avoid war against our areas.”

“We do not want war rather we seek to preserve the ceasefire and we continue to do so in this regard,” Abdi stressed in a press conference in the city of Hasakah.

Reporting by Fansa Temmo