Pro Assad Government Forces Entered Syria’s Afrin As Reinforcement
Image Courtesy: Tasnim News
On Tuesday, the pro-Syrian government forces entered the town of Syria’s Afrin enclave to provide reinforcement to Kurdish forces fighting the Turkish offensive.
Images were aired of "popular forces" loyal to President Bashar Assad moving toward Afrin city in pick-up trucks equipped with anti-aircraft guns and armoured personals carriers (APCs), Efe reported.
"The Syrian government has responded to the call of duty and sent military units on this day ... to deploy along the border and take part in defending the unity of Syria's territory and borders," YPG spokesman Nouri Mahmoud said in a statement.
Shortly after the militias entered the enclave, Turkish planes carried out airstrikes around the city, Syrian state TV reported.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Syrian militia units had already begun to withdraw from Afrin after a bombardment by Turkish artillery.
"A dozen or so pick-up trucks had come to advance toward Afrin. Only after an artillery barrage they turned around and left. This matter is closed," he said.
On January 20, Turkish forces and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara launched an offensive in Afrin, which has more than 350 towns controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), denounced by the Turks as terrorists. The current ‘Operation Olive Branch’ is an extension of the previous military campaign of 2017.
The trigger for the renewed push by Turkish forces to take over Afrin was the US announcement of forming border force made of Kurdish elements in Syria.
Earlier, the Syrian government had warned that it would shoot down any Turkish jets that attempt to enter its territory in Afrin.
"We warn the Turkish leadership that if they initiate combat operations in the Afrin area, that will be considered an act of aggression by the Turkish Army,” Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad said in a statement reported by state media.
The Turkish government claims that the YPG is an offshoot of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which has mounted a rebellion against the state in mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey for more than 30 years.
Meanwhile, Russia had called for direct negotiations between Damascus and Ankara to resolve the Afrin crisis.
(with inputs from IANS)
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