Illustrative image, source: sdf-press.com
On February 5, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out attacks against Turkish forces in northern Raqqa in response to the continuous shelling and attacks on the town of Ain Issa.
A video released by the Hawar News Agency (ANHA) shows SDF snipers destroying a thermal surveillance system installed on a tower in a Turkish post near the town of Mu’alak, northwest of Ain Issa.
The video also shows the destruction of a heavy weapon, most likely a AZP S-60 anti-aircraft gun, by SDF fighters in the outskirts of Ain Issa.
A day earlier, intense Turkish shelling targeted SDF positions in Ain Issa and its outskirts. The ANHA shared a video showing mortars landing at a position near the town as a convoy of the Russian Military Police was passing by.
Several units of the Russian Military Police and the Syrian Arab Army are deployed around Ain Issa and in other parts of northeastern Syria to monitor the ceasefire between Turkish forces and the SDF.
Turkish forces stepped up their attacks on Ain Issa a few months ago. Russia warned the SDF of a near Turkish-led offensive to capture the town. Nevertheless, the US-backed group rejected a Russian request to hand the town over to government forces. As a result, the situation around the town is still unstable.
It certainly is unstable if “ANHA shared a video showing mortars landing at a position near the town as a convoy of the Russian Military Police was passing by”. What’s happened to justifiable retaliatory responses, the offending Turkish mortars should’ve been eliminated as a warning to the Turks to discontinue any actions that were endangering Russian soldiers lives.
Vary much is like the WW1 frontzone. They cant eliminate each other.
I would say that Russians and Turks should not be there at all. Both and for the matter Assads dont support the people living there. I could make sense Turks and its Jihadists was forced back assisted/protected by USA and SDFs got the main control again under their umbralla.
It makes no sense to me Russians are there and are spread out in Syria as they are. Some car driving up and down the street often is symbolic and – as You write it – make them to tempting victims – and maybee even for fun. This is no fun. People hardly know what they fight for and againt. .
Why is Russia protecting the SDF allowing them to hide behind Russian troops ?
The SDF is hiding behind the Russians but I’m not so sure the Russians are protecting the SDF, so I don’t think I can answer that question. But the SAA are definitely protecting the SDF, a report on SF about a month or more ago described the situation very well, SF reports told us the Russians were warning the SDF to leave and allow the Russians to administer the disputed areas of control or else the Turks would most certainly mount another invasion, and instead of the Russians sending in more troops to secure the area, the SAA did instead, and only just recently have the Russians reinforced themselves in that location, about 3 or 4 weeks after the SAA did. The SAA has also reinforced their positions at Tall Tamr, but I don’t think the Russians have yet. The same thing happened when the Turks first invaded Al Hasakah, the SAA sent in a column of 300 NDF militia to assist the SDF but the Turks used artillery to stop the convoy, they blew up several vehicles and killed dozens of NDF, but Russia didn’t lift a finger or lodge any protests, only Assad complained loudly at the time. Assad has good relations with the Kurds contrary to what some media outlets claim, he doesn’t like the SDF leadership but he does differentiate between them and the average Kurdish citizen, he calls the SDF leadership traitors and the Kurds he calls loyal patriots, which I can only assume means Assad’s still trying to win them over with reasonable offers of reconciliation, but the Russians seem to be using blackmail tactics instead, which won’t work with Biden in power. So I’ll be plain, Russia isn’t really helping the situation in northern Syria, they’re just pandering to Erdogan’s demands and putting Syria’s best interests aside, but on the opposite side of the coin in the south of Syria I think the Russians have all the right answers, so don’t assume I’m anti Russian, I just don’t agree with some of the things they do, especially their resolution 2254 and all the subsequent Astana agreements, and in fact everything that concerns Russian/Turkish cooperation in Syria.
Fair analysis.
Why should the Kurds bow down to the Russians after observing how the Russians betrayed and/or failed their Armenian de jure military allies in Karabakh?
The Russians clearly are acting as de facto allies of the Turks. So it’d be quite unreasonable and self-defeating of the Kurds to take the Russians seriously when it’s clear that the Russians are both unwilling and incapable of fighting on the side of their Syrian, Iranian or Armenian “allies”.
Unlike NATO and the Americans who take care of their allies to the extent that they can (thousands of trucks of NATO supplies and weapons were delivered to the Kurds according to the Turks themselves), the Russians give nothing essentially, not even military aid powerful enough to be decisive in favor of their allies.
Let’s not forget that the Russians opened *Syrian* airspace to the Turks who without their drones, F-16s and air dominance, could not have taken Afrin from the Kurds of Syria. That’s betrayal #1 of the Kurds by the Russians.
The Russians effectively *prevented* the Syrians and the Iranians from achieving victory in Idlib. The Russians transported a million or more Muslim terrorists to Idlib in air-conditioned buses, instead of killing them. Then the Russians invited the Turks in and enabled the Turks to build bases in Syria which the Russians themselves claim is a sovereign nation?
Clearly, the Russians are a disease to be avoided whenever possible.
Best go for genuine allies which are NATO-affiliated forces (except for Turkey). Because you won’t need enemies with “partners” like the Russians.
so Dianna what Iranian terrorists and Hezbollah terrorist doing in Syria and the rest. TÜRKIYE trying to protect there’s borders from pkk.. ypg what ever they call themselves you wrong again saying millions of Muslim terrorists.. where all day come from? we call them mujahedin is a right word try to memorize it you might come face-to-face with them one day
So Mehmet?
Can you stop lying and making a fool out of yourself by threatening me?
The Iranians and the pro-Syrian Lebanese fighters (Hezbollah) were invited by the Syrians.
You Muslim terrorist Turks are invaders whom the Syrians ordered to leave Syria.
What are you Turks doing in Syria? The answer is: Islamic and Turkish terrorism.