On March 20, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed fresh reinforcements near the key town of Ayn Issa in the northern Raqqa countryside.
According to local sources, the reinforcements, which arrived in the morning, included dozens of troops and around a 100 military vehicles. These forces were reportedly deployed inside the 93th Brigade Base, southwest of Ain Issa.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter
A day earlier, clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish forces broke out north of Ain Issa. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claimed that both side suffered causalities.
Ayn Issa, one of the larges towns in northern Raqqa, hosts a coordination center between the Russian military and the SDF.
SAA units entered northern Raqqa and other parts of northeast Syria last year as a result of a breakthrough agreement between the SDF and the Damascus government. The deployment helped put an end to a large-scale Turkish-led attack on the region.
The fresh SAA reinforcements were likely deployed in response to the increasing tension around Ayn Issa. The town’s northern outskirt is witnessing clashes on a regular basis.
