Turkish fierce shelling hits Aleppo northern countryside
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), renewed its shelling on villages of the northern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, targeting a post of Syrian government forces.
The Turkish forces escalate its shelling on villages of the countryside of Aleppo in coincidence with Turkish threats to launch a military operation on Syria’s north.
The Turkish intensification of shelling comes in tandem with successive statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, threatening to launch a military operation against north Syria.
In a speech after charring a government meeting, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, the Turkish president renewed on June 27 his threats to launch a new military operation in northern Syria.
On June 1, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his threats of launching a military operation on northern Syria, and specified his targets in the two Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat, which include many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The intensive shelling came after a day of Turkey’s approval to join Sweden and Finland in NATO.
Eyewitnesses told North Press that the Turkish forces targeted the outskirt of the village of Ibbin in the northern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, with two shells.
The village of Kafranton was also shelled with ten artillery shells, which fell on the recently harvested agricultural lands.
On May 25, Turkey’s National Security Council said that Turkey’s “existing and future military operations along its southern borders were necessary for the country’s security.” In the meeting, Erdogan delivered a speech to the MPs of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and said, “Turkish military would continue to rid its neighbor of terrorists” refers to the SDF.
Minutes later, the Turkish forces targeted the outskirts of the town of Deir Jamal and Kafr Naya in the northern countryside of Aleppo with more than seven artillery shells, most of which fell on a military post of the Syrian government forces, according to a source.
On May 23, Erdogan announced taking steps to complete the so-called remained portions of the “safe zone” plan along Turkey’s southern border saying, “We will soon take new steps regarding the incomplete portions of the project we started on the 30 km deep safe zone we established along our southern border.”
The Turkish “safe zone” is an area of 30-35 km (19-22 miles) deep into Syrian territory that Turkey started establishing in 2019 to house Syrian refugees in an area along its border with Syria, as well as to keep it free from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which it regards as terrorists.
Since the Turkish “Olive Branch” military operation in 2018, through which Turkey occupied Afrin region, the original inhabitants fled their homes and resorted to Shahba region (Aleppo northern countryside) which includes about 40 villages and five camps and is controlled by Syrian government and Russian forces.
The villages of the northern countryside of Aleppo are witnessing a Turkish military escalation, as they are bombed almost daily.