Turkish forces are seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
On December 8, two Turkish service members were wounded as a result of a mortar attack that targeted their base in the northern countryside of Aleppo in Syria’s northern region, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The base in question is located near the village of Azraq, some six kilometers to the west of the Turkish-occupied town of al-Bab.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has not commented on the incident, yet. The ministry usually ignores attacks that do not result in fatalities.
Kurdish forces, who occupy a long strip of land to the west of Azraq, were most likely behind the mortar attack. A day earlier, Kurdish forces shelled the town of Aulashli near Azraq with several mortar rounds. No casualties or material losses were reported.
The mortar attack will likely provoke a fierce response from the Turkish military and its proxies. Usually, they respond to such attacks by shelling Kurdish-held towns and villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
Tensions in the northern Aleppo countryside rose a few months ago following reports of a near Turkish-led operation against Kurdish forces in the region.
