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On January 31, the Turkish Army and its proxies from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) captured the highest peak on the Qurne Mountains north of the city of Afrin, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency. The Syrian pro-opposition news outlet STEP News released a video showing Turkish Leopard 2A4 battle tanks involved in the attack on Qurne.
The Turkish Air Force (TAF) also conducted a new wave of airstrikes against the positions of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) northeast of Afrin, according to Turkish sources.
In a related development, Chairman of the Executive Council in Afrin area Hifi Mustafa denied that the YPG is planning to hand over the Afrin area to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), according to the Russian state-run news agency Sputnik. Haifi said that the YPG is currently negotiating with Russia in order to “stop the Turkish attack on Afrin” but didn’t provide any further information.
Earlier, a senior diplomatic adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey is not going to hand over the Syrian area of Afrin to the Damascus government if it’s able to capture it.
These Turkish and Kurdish statements confirm that both sides are not ready to reach a political solution for the Afrin crisis yet.
Justice to the Kurdish people .
there is no favorable justice for terrorists.
Seriously, WTF could the SAA possibly do all the way up in Afrin? The US Coalition plans were always to stretch the SAA and her allied forces out across as many fronts as possible. Afrin is nothing but a ready-made cauldron offering almost no strategic advantage to the SAA now. Syria sending troops up there at the invitation/request of the Kurds sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the US. It’s almost like they’re trying to lure the SAA up there. I just can’t imagine the SAA doing that as part of any rational strategy right now – they’re stretched way too thin as it is. All in good time, of course.
Its fake news and has been denied several times already.
Besides, assad is much much smarter than that.
“Seriously, WTF could the SAA possibly do all the way up in Afrin?” That’s all you can say about this SouthFront report????
Seriously, did you miss the bit that said:
“a senior diplomatic adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey is not going to hand over the Syrian area of Afrin to the Damascus government if it’s able to capture it.”
That is something worth commenting on! My comment: the Ottoman Empire is being resurrected!
Turkey is the second largest army in NATO. Which current front(s) are you suggesting the SAA walk away from in some kind of futile attempt to secure Afrin? It would be nice if they could, but they simply don’t have the troops or equipment open an Afrin front against Turkey right now. It doesn’t matter how illegal or egregious the invasion or if/when they can throw the Turkish invaders or their head-chopper proxy army out. Same thing with the SAA’s inability to respond to the current Israeli land grabbing and proxy army expansion in the south. The SAA has to pick and choose their battles for the time being. The US, Israel and Turkey are going to take advantage of that.
Exactly.
Agreed – fed up with keyboard warriors bad-mouthing the SAA – Afrin is, right now, not imperative to defend on behalf of YPG [- far, far more important to defend Aleppo and environs to prevent TSK/FSA link-up – especially as Turkey has now opened up corridor from Reyhanli salient eastwards to HTS held territory just 4 000 meters from Aleppo perimeter (outer ring road) Meantime still puzzled why Turkey has not advanced west of Marea to take Tal Rifaat area ?
Tal Rifaat area is close to SAA lines and towards Aleppo area, this might set off some alarm bells. First stated Turkish intention is to secure their immediate border area. First phase looks like a rough hilly battle.
They are not stretched to thin as many of their troops rotate on RR you can’t be a machine at this even the US recharges them at a longer rate. The fighting in the southern regions have been all but repelled and only limited small gains.
RIP Headphone users, especially in that first video =(
Is it just me, or do the FSA look like complete rabble? A bit of targeted mortar fire and they won’t stand together and video each other quite so much.
Cannon fonder, Turkey cleaning up its proxies mistakes prior to Russia jet downing and assassination attempt on Erdogan. Focus on eliminating a new Israel (Kurdistan) on its borders.
They are all terrorist gangs and identified by bands on the shoulder arm.
The colored arm bands are temporary expedient for tactical ID ( individual and sub-unit) in close combat where friend/foe wear similar uniforms – to avoid blue-on-blue
The FSA are all common thieves who seek plunder , not ‘Glorious Victories, where they risk being killed or wounded Vitex.
Sounds like a new golan heights to me. Just another part of syria occupied forever by another country. I trust trust that the syrians havent forgotten turkeys hand in this whole war.
This war would not have lasted six weeks without Turkey 100 % supporting islamic terrorists from the start, and continuing to attack Syria to destroy it.
Just like how you can tell each Terrorist group that are the allies to Turkey red , yellow , green , white , blue easier to find the traitors from the terrorists.
Look at the bottom of the map – this shows a TAF ( turquoise color) salient deep into Syria from Atmeh to Anadan roughly 30 km deep and 8 km wide and HTS control further to Aleppo city perimeter. Is this just a probe or the start of a serious operation to PERMANENTLY seal off southern approaches to Afreen ??
Turkey took advantage of the deescalation agreement a while back to seal off South Afrin.
Just like he tried to do recently in SW Aleppo with his convoy that was turned back.
Appears that Afrin op was planned long ago. Erdogan can not be trusted!