Militants of the National Front for Liberation (NFL) are shelling Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in northern Hama with Turkish-made mortar cannons, a video released by opposition activists on May 31 revealed.
الجبهة الوطنية للتحرير للتحرير بدات بعمل ضخم على محور ريف حماة الغربي ادخل وتابع اخبار المعركة لحظة بلحظة ومن قلب الحدث pic.twitter.com/fF4m3OMLzF
— أخبار المناطق المحررره أدلب _سهل الغاب _جبل شحشبو (@OiWvORYIwM1Myzj) May 31, 2019
The mortar was identified as HY-12, a copy of the French MO-120-RT [Mortier de 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1]. These mortars are manufactured by Turkey’s MKEK. The 120mm mortar has a range of more than 8km and can fire 6-10 rounds per minute.
This was not the first time when this type of mortar was used by Turkey’s proxies to shell government-heled areas. In 2016, the so-called Suqour al-Sham Brigades shelled residential areas in the towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa with a Turkish-made HY-12 mortar.
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According to a recent report by the Reuters news agency, Turkey has resumed its weapon supplies to “mainstream Syrian rebels” to help them fend off the ongoing SAA military operation in northern Hama.
The continued Turkish support for these militants, despite their repeated violations of the de-escalation agreement, raises serious questions about Ankara’s real plans for northern Syria.
