© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev
On July 17, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed more reinforcements in areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria.
The reinforcements including at least three Soviet-made M-46 130 mm towed field guns. The North Press Agency released a video showing the reinforcements passing near the SDF-held town of Manbij in the northern Aleppo countryside on their way to the northeastern region.
The M-46 has an effective firing range of 27.5 kilometers with regular rounds and up to 38 kilometers with rocket-assisted rounds. The field gun can fire up to eight rounds per minute in “burst” mode.
Just a day earlier, the SAA deployed 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzers in the outskirts of the town of Manbij.
The SAA has been expanding its military presence in SDF-held areas in northern and northeastern Syria for a few weeks now under a new agreement. The army’s main goal is to help the SDF defend these regions if Turkey carries out its threats and launch a new military operation there.
While the SDF has tenth of thousands of experienced and highly-trained fighters, it lacks the fire power it desperately needs to face the Turkish military and its proxies. This explains why the reinforcements recently deployed by the SAA in the northern and northeastern region included field guns, howitzers and multiple rocket launchers.
The SDF hopes that that SAA troops will fight side by side with its fighters to stop any new Turkish military operation. The group’s Commander-in-Chief, Ferhat Abdi Sahin, voiced these hopes during a recent press conference.
