Turkish Military Strikes Syrian Army, Suffers First Casualties Since March

DEAR FRIENDS. IF YOU LIKE THIS TYPE OF CONTENT, SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK:

PayPal: southfront@list.ru, http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront, BTC: 3Gbs4rjcVUtQd8p3CiFUCxPLZwRqurezRZ, BCH ABC: qpf2cphc5dkuclkqur7lhj2yuqq9pk3hmukle77vhq, ETH: 0x9f4cda013e354b8fc285bf4b9a60460cee7f7ea9

Syrian-Turkish tensions have ramped up in the region of Greater Idlib over the past few days.

On September 5, heavy clashes between Syrian troops and Turkish-backed militants broke out near the town of Fleifel and Saraqib in southeastern Idlib, near the town of al-Enkawi in northwestern Hama and Kafr Taal in western Aleppo. According to pro-militant sources, at least 5 Syrian Army troops were killed in injured in the confrontation. They claim that it is the Damascus government that violated the ceasefire triggering the confrontation. At the same time, Syrian sources say that the clashes started after the Turkish Armed Forces conducted several artillery strikes on Syrian Army positions near the town of Saraqib.

A day later, on September 6, the Turkish military once again shelled Syrian troops near Saraqib, and near Kafr Nabl. The impact of the strikes remain unclear. Nonetheless, pro-government sources did not report any casualties. In response to the attack, Syrian forces launched a series of strikes on positions of the Turkish-backed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near the towns Fatterah, Sufuhon, Kafar Aweed and Kinsafra in the southern part of the so-called Idlib de-escalation zone.

Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen attacked a checkpoint of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near the town of Kafar Takharim reportedly killing and injuring several terrorists. After the attack, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham security forces arrested five militants of a small local armed faction called the Hananu Brigade. The terrorist group suspected that these fighters were behind the attack, but this turned out to be untrue. The detained militants were released within a few hours. The real identity of the attackers remains unclear.

On September 7, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that a Turkish soldier had died from wounds received in an attack in southern Idlib. The attack by unidentified militants took place near Ariha. Syrian troops refrain from striking positions of the Turkish military, likely trying to avoid further escalation and demonstrate that the ceasefire regime still exists at least formally.

Nevertheless, the current situation, when Turkish forces attack the Syrian Army with impunity under the cover of the ceasefire, cannot last long and will likely inevitably lead to an escalation if the Erdogan regime does not change its behavior.

The Russian Aerospace Forces have intensified strikes on identified ISIS targets in the central Syrian desert, according to reports by pro-militant sources. Despite the recently concluded operation of the Syrian Army and the Russian military in the desert that allegedly resulted in the elimination of over 300 ISIS members, ISIS continues its attacks. The most recent attacks took place in western Deir Ezzor, south of Mayadin, in the area between the town of Hamimah and the T3 station and near Itriyah. Therefore, Russia, Syria and Iran continue their joint effort against ISIS.

On September 5, the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate, the National Defense Forces and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained 5 ISIS members wearing Iranian military uniforms and driving a vehicle with pro-Iranian slogans in Mayadin.

On September 7, local sources revealed that the Syrian Army with support of the Russian Aerospace Forces has launched a new security operation covering eastern Homs, eastern Hama, southern Aleppo and southern Raqqa. According to reports, up to 25 ISIS terrorists were already neutralized in these areas.

Some sources claim that the Damascus government is eager to neutralize the ISIS threat in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert before the start of any new open confrontation with Turkey. If the new Turkish-Syrian conflict starts before this, ISIS terrorists will become an even more serious security problem for government forces.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
43 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
El Mashi

Erdogan has a three front war: in Libya, Eastern Mediterranean, and Syria/Iraq. In Libya, Turkey fights Egypt, UAE, US, Russia, Israel, Greece. In Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey fights Greece, Israel, Nato, France. In Syria/Iraq, Turkey fights Russia, Iran, Hezbollah. In Turkey, Erdogan fights the US financial blockade, economic sanctions, CIA intervention. If that were not enough, in China, Erdogan has supported the Al Qaeda/Uighur terrorists. It is Erdogan against the world. Turkey will have the death of a thousand cuts.

Icarus Tanović

More than that. It is actually 5 fronts. I’m not sure is this guy Erdogan, actually a Zionist who is about to destroy Turkey.

Omega Red

One question: In Libya, does the US not support GNA? Does the US support Haftar?

Fog of War

It seems Russia and the US support the GNA as it has UN approval. But, that’s just all smoke and mirrors.

Servet Köseoğlu

You forgot to add ”Erdogan in serengeti park is fighting with the buffalos.”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93299fc71d835607365d96685802393d5808e00e33c24a1033d1b5a821c97705.gif

Servet Köseoğlu

you are uae clown? if yes take cover ı will open barrage fire to you personally…

Kenny Jones ™

*saudi, and no, it’s just a lesser evil

FANFARΟNE ? Year of the Pig ??

that was an iranirat – way worse than the turks let alone emirati arabs

Erdogan in serengeti park is fighting with the buffalos

I thought you would say he is fighting T-Rex in jurassic park

Willing Conscience (The Truths

Iran and Turkey actually sometimes cooperate in Iraq, just recently they both began simultaneous offensives against aligned terrorists that both the Iraqi Government and the KRG said were obviously coordinated actions, they also said both offensives were way too indiscriminate and killed way too many innocent civilians.

PJ London

The Kurds live in an Oil-rich area of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, so of course they have backing of the Oil-mad Americans.
Turkey and Iran do not have problems with each other, only with US-Kurds.
KRG and Iraq government are US sock-puppets.

Fog of War

” The Kurds live in an Oil-rich area of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, ”
The Kurds ” conveniently ” live there. How ” lucky ” for them .

Servet Köseoğlu

Oil-rich area of Turkeythere is nothing there except coal…

guest

Kurds need to move to Europe, where they belong.

Willing Conscience (The Truths

The Kurds have continuously lived in most the areas they now live in for 2,000 years or more, only the Iranians can say the same thing, Syria Iraq and Turkey are new countries that are literally only centuries old, so the Kurds have a much stronger claim to their own homelands.

Fog of War

Name the Kurdish civilization ? Provide a map of the territory it held ? What kind of architecture did this empire / civilization have ? Customs ? What other kingdoms / civilizations did they trade with ? When did it start and fall ?

Willing Conscience (The Truths

“The prehistory of the Kurds is poorly known, but their ancestors seem to have inhabited the same upland region for millennia. The records of the early empires of Mesopotamia contain frequent references to mountain tribes with names resembling “Kurd.” The Kardouchoi whom the Greek historian Xenophon speaks of in Anabasis (they attacked the “Ten Thousand” near modern Zākhū, Iraq, in 401 BCE) may have been Kurds, but some scholars dispute this claim.”

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurd

“During the Seleucid/Macedonian period that followed the conquest of the Persian Achaemenian Empire by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, at least one major episode of resettlement of Kurds into western and southwestern Anatolia can be historically evidenced. This is for the period circa 181 BC.

A fairly long rock inscription at Telmessus (modern Fethiye) on the southwestern coast of Anatolia by the Pergamese king Eumenes II (r. 197-154 BC) provides a glimpse into the life and history of the resettled Kurds. The inscription is in Greek and is commonly known as the Cardaces Inscription.”

http://kurdistanica.com/the-first-documented-resettlement-of-kurds/

“Some of the ancient districts of Kurdistan and their corresponding modern names:

Corduene or Gordyene (Siirt, Bitlis and Şırnak)

Sophene (Diyarbakır)

Zabdicene or Bezabde (Gozarto d’Qardu or Jazirat Ibn or Cizre)

Basenia (Bayazid)

Moxoene (Muş)

Nephercerta (Miyafarkin)

Artemita (Van)

One of the earliest records of the phrase land of the Kurds is found in an Assyrian Christian document of late antiquity, describing the stories of Assyrian saints of the Middle East, such as Abdisho. When the Sasanian Marzban asked Mar Abdisho about his place of origin, he replied that according to his parents, they were originally from Hazza, a village in Assyria. However they were later driven out of Hazza by pagans, and settled in Tamanon, which according to Abdisho was in the land of the Kurds. Tamanon lies just north of the modern Iraq-Turkey border, while Hazza is 12 km southwest of modern Erbil. In another passage in the same document, the region of the Khabur River is also identified as land of the Kurds. According to Al-Muqaddasi and Yaqut al-Hamawi, Tamanon was located on the south-western or southern slopes of Mount Judi and south of Cizre. Other geographical references to the Kurds in Syriac sources appear in Zuqnin chronicle, writings of Michael the Syrian and Bar hebraeus. They mention the mountains of Qardu, city of Qardu and country of Qardawaye.

http://dirokakurdistan.com/kurdistan/

More than 2,400 years of history in the same geographical areas they still live in now, Turkey Syria and Iraq weren’t even countries then, the Kurds were a part of Persia and the Persian empire after the Persians invaded and took over, 2,400 years ago.

Fog of War

” The prehistory of the Kurds is poorly known, but their ancestors seem to have inhabited the same upland region for millennia. ”
This says it all for me. No maps of their ” empire ” no cultural achievements, no distinct architecture and no historical mention of a Kurdish empire. Additionally, after 2,500 years there is no prove we are even talking about the same Kurds. Finally, a few sheep herding tribes in the mountains does not make a nation / empire. Are you going to argue every two-bit tribe deserves its own nation now ? Especially, after being under other empires for 2,500 years ? That’s a tough sell.

Willing Conscience (The Truths

They’ve never had an Empire or a Nation and no one’s ever suggested they do or did, but they have lived as an ethnic identity in the same areas they mostly do now for more than 2,500 years.
The Greeks and Romans were well known for recording facts and were studious record keepers, so are we to believe what they say about some things but not others, mmm.
There are plenty of maps and info if you care to look for them.
The reason they’ve never had a nation is because they were never known for their military prowess, at least not until Saladin came along, then Saladin became not only the most famous Kurdish military leader, and not even just the Islamic worlds greatest military leader, but he’s also now recognised as one of the worlds greatest military leaders/ strategist/tacticians.

Here’s some wiki info about one of the sheep herders and his famous dynasty.

“An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب‎ / ALA-LC: Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb; Kurdish: سەڵاحەدینی ئەییووبی‎ / ALA-LC: Selahedînê Eyûbî), known as Salah ad-Din or Saladin (/ˈsælədɪn/; 1137 – 4 March 1193), was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty and the first to hold the title of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.[4] A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish ethnicity,[5][6][7] Saladin led the Muslim military campaign against the Crusader states in the Levant. During his reign, Saladin has been described as the de facto Caliph of Islam[8][9] and at the height of his power, his empire included Egypt, Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, the Hejaz, Yemen and other parts of North Africa.

He was originally sent to Fatimid Egypt in 1164 alongside his uncle Shirkuh, a general of the Zengid army, on the orders of their lord Nur ad-Din to help restore Shawar as vizier of the teenage Fatimid caliph al-Adid. A power struggle ensued between Shirkuh and Shawar after the latter was reinstated. Saladin, meanwhile, climbed the ranks of the Fatimid government by virtue of his military successes against Crusader assaults against its territory and his personal closeness to al-Adid. After Shawar was assassinated and Shirkuh died in 1169, al-Adid appointed Saladin vizier, a rare nomination of a Sunni Muslim to such an important position in the Isma’ili Shia caliphate. During his tenure as vizier, Saladin began to undermine the Fatimid establishment and, following al-Adid’s death in 1171, he abolished the Fatimid Caliphate and realigned the country’s allegiance with the Sunni, Baghdad-based Abbasid Caliphate.

In the following years, he led forays against the Crusaders in Palestine, commissioned the successful conquest of Yemen, and staved off pro-Fatimid rebellions in Upper Egypt. Not long after Nur ad-Din’s death in 1174,[10] Saladin launched his conquest of Syria, peacefully entering Damascus at the request of its governor. By mid-1175, Saladin had conquered Hama and Homs, inviting the animosity of other Zengid lords, the official rulers of Syria’s various regions. Soon after, he defeated the Zengid army at the Battle of the Horns of Hama and was thereafter proclaimed the “Sultan of Egypt and Syria” by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi. Saladin made further conquests in northern Syria and Jazira, escaping two attempts on his life by Assassins, before returning to Egypt in 1177 to address issues there. By 1182, Saladin had completed the conquest of Muslim Syria after capturing Aleppo, but ultimately failed to take over the Zengid stronghold of Mosul.[11]

Under Saladin’s command, the Ayyubid army defeated the Crusaders at the decisive Battle of Hattin in 1187, and thereafter wrested control of Palestine—including the city of Jerusalem—from the Crusaders, who had conquered the area 88 years earlier. Although the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem continued to exist until the late 13th century, its defeat at Hattin marked a turning point in its conflict with the Muslim powers of the region. Saladin died in Damascus in 1193, having given away much of his personal wealth to his subjects. He is buried in a mausoleum adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque. Saladin has become a prominent figure in Muslim, Arab, Turkish and Kurdish culture,[12] and he has often been described as being the most famous Kurd in history.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin

Fog of War

Thats great, one Kurd happened to become ruler of an Islamic empire. So what ? Napoleon, led the French empire, but he was Corsican. Should Corsica be granted independence , as they have a long history on their Island also ? I hope you understand your type of reasoning legitimizes Israhelli occupation, as it could be argued the Khazars claim the same type of scenario as the Kurds.

Willing Conscience (The Truths

My argument does nothing to legitimise the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the Israelis were mostly expelled from Israel during the Roman occupation 2,000 years ago, but the Kurds were never expelled from their lands, they’ve continuously lived in the same areas for 2,500 years.
In Spain Catalan politicians have been jailed for wanting independence, are they wrong to want independence from spain, according to your opinion yes they are, but I have to disagree, I don’t like telling anyone what they should or shouldn’t do, especially if it doesn’t hurt me or anyone else.

Fog of War

Your comment is all over the place. So lets simplify .

” they’ve continuously lived in the same areas for 2,500 years. ”

So what ? They lived as occupied sheep herders for the entire time. Also, do you actually believe these sheep herders have had a 2500 continuous struggle for a homeland and independence ? Or were they perfectly fine and happy till the Khazars came along and instigated the sheep herders into thinking up a fantasy they were a great empire at some time ?

” Israelis were mostly expelled from Israel during the Roman occupation 2,000 years ago ”

So what ? Do an expelled people not have a right to return at some point ? Is there a time limit ? For disclosure, I don’t consider the Khazars as the original Jews, however, my point still stands.

Finally, how long does a land need to be occupied before its no longer considered the orginal owners ?

Willing Conscience (The Truths

“So what ? Do an expelled people not have a right to return at some point ? Is there a time limit ? For disclosure, I don’t consider the Khazars as the original Jews, however, my point still stands.”

Israel uses the same argument and I don’t agree with either of you.

“Finally, how long does a land need to be occupied before its no longer considered the orginal owners ?”

It seems one day is enough if the occupiers have the military might to say they can’t, and that’s because the original occupants usually can’t do anything to stop the occupiers, that’s why they’re occupied in the first place.
Might makes right and history is written by the victors, that’s why the whole middle east is the way it is now, up until 500 years ago most of the middle east was considered Persia.

when I was younger I used to say Israel the nation had no right to exist because most Israelis were either expelled or left Israel a long time ago, but now after 70 years of occupation and 3 new generations I’m unable to say that anymore, but the Kurds have never left home, they’ve just been subjugated again and again and again.

Fog of War

You fail to answer my questions and we’re just talking in circles at this point. Lets just end this conversation as its going no where.

disqus_3BrONUAJno

Are you unaware or ignorant of the function of the edit button under all of your posts?

Willing Conscience (The Truths

” Name the Kurdish civilization ? Provide a map of the territory it held ? What kind of architecture did this empire / civilization have ? Customs ? What other kingdoms / civilizations did they trade with ? When did it start and fall ?”

I have answered your question and provided links, I’m afraid you’re totally wrong, the Kurds have lived in the same areas they always have, 2.500 years and counting.
You call the Kurds sheep herders and say I’m talking in circles, but read what the Romans and Greeks said about them, they thought they were the noblest of all the Arab tribes, and the best engineers, LOL, you need to read way more than you do.

Here’s Wiki info with ancient maps, tribal names, languages spoken, cultural ties, trade partners, ect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan

Fog of War

Absolutely not, Europe already has plenty of traitors.

Willing Conscience (The Truths

Turkey, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood have all been really good friends in the past that’s true, but if you haven’t noticed that’s all changed lately. After Iran attacked Aleppo last year the Turks and the Muslim Brotherhood turned on Iran, now they’re both punishing Iran mercilessly.
Find out why Turkey stopped buying Iranian natural gas, then find out why Iran’s taking Turkey to International court.
Turkey is kicking Iran in the guts atm, one third of all Iran’s export revenue came from gas sales to Turkey, and now curiously the Turks pay more for US LPG than they used to pay for cheap Iranian natural gas, that’s revenge for Aleppo.

PJ London

“that’s revenge for Aleppo” I believe that it is for two reasons. 1) Erdogan’s family doing deals with the US Oil and Gas industry and 2) US pressure via NATO [with probably a promise not to get involved in the Greece – Turkey spat] to hold N Syria from Assad and Russian domination.
You are right that Turkey does not want to see an Iranian dominated region on it’s southern border, any more than Syria, Iraq, Iran want a strong Turkey as a northern neighbour.

Willing Conscience (The Truths

Yes Turkey definitely wants ro be the one dominating the region.

Mustafa Mehmet

You swallow Duracell battery again repeating yourself like parrots… bird brain

mhtsaropinigitakis

Erdoslave is forced to do this by his Masters in Qatar… Turkish lives seems dosent matter at all for Erdohitler

Kenny Jones ™

Don’t put Israel there pls, they’re just as bad as Turkey

guest

Turkey is also involved in Azerbaijan against Armenia.

Cromwell

Never mind there will be another joint patrol on the motorway tomorrow.

cechas vodobenikov

turkeys as blind and deaf as amerikans

Антон С

They are just aggressors. Add Tel-Aviv to the list.

guest

Turkey needs to leave Syria alone.

Kenny Jones ™

Jihadists are mad that Turkey allows Russia patrol in Idlib M4, they might as well declare war against them and the problem solves itself, maybe this was the master plan of the great bear after all..

Smith Ricky

Turkey is on its path of destruction just like the byzantine, roman, ottoman gai empires. History always repeats itself.

guest

If it keeps meddling in Arab affairs that would be logical outcome.

nyomarek

Okay this was satisfying to watch. I’d love to see reports about Turkeys Trannies running for their lives, back where they came from.

Willing Conscience (The Truths

“In response to the attack, Syrian forces launched a series of strikes on positions of the Turkish-backed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near the towns Fatterah, Sufuhon, Kafar Aweed and Kinsafra in the southern part of the so-called Idlib de-escalation zone.”

Did they, but I’m sure that’s where the Turkish moderate opposition were operating last month, the NFL and SNA were attacking the SAA from these locations, so I think SF has made another mistake, or is it possibly intentional.
On the 26/8/ several Grad rocket strikes against the SAA and the NFL has most of the grad rocket launchers because Turkey always gives the NFL the best equipment.

And does Turkey really back HTS as SF stated they do, in reality HTS is arresting heaps of Muslim Brotherhood supporters and they all follow the Turkish backed Syrian Interim Government, not HTS’s Salvation Government, so the truth is they’re just barely allies now.