Syrian Soldier Killed In Turkish Shelling On Northern Aleppo

Image: aa.com.tr

On December 10, a soldier of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was killed when the Turkish military shelled Kurdish-held areas in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo.

The SAA maintains a large presence in a large pocket held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern Aleppo countryside. The army was first deployed there in 2018 to maintain peace under a Russian-brokered agreement.

According to the SDF-linked Hawar News Agency, the Turkish shelling targeted the village of Sammukat. The fallen soldier was manning a position there.

A few hours earlier, a Turkish loitering munition struck a military position between the villages of Binah and Aqbiyah in the northern Aleppo countryside. Material losses were reported after the strike. However, there were no casualties.

Turkey stepped up its air and artillery strikes on SDF-held areas in the framework of Operation Claw-Sword, which started on November 20. Ankara launched the operation in response to the November 13 Istanbul bombing, which was allegedly orchestrated by the Kurdistan Workers Party and the People’s Protection Units, the core faction of the SDF.

After the start of the Turkish operation, the SAA deployed large reinforcements in SDF-held areas in anticipation of a new invasion of northern Syria.

Russia is currently making efforts to broker a deal that would prevent a Turkish invasion, while at the same time pushing for a rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus. Turkey’s repeated attacks on SAA troops in northern Syria will likely make the situation more complicated.

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