Turkish Army tanks manoeuvre during a military exercise near the Turkish-Iraqi border in Silopi, Turkey, September 25, 2017 © Umit Bektas / Reuters
On May 2, a soldier in the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) died of wounds that he sustained as a result of Turkish shelling on the northern countryside of Aleppo.
The soldier, identified as Ali Yassir Dirgham from Masyaf in Hama, was wounded along with another Syrian service member on May 31, when Turkish forces shelled a strip of land held by the SAA and Kurdish forces south of occupied Afrin.
Ali Yassir Dirgham.
The Turkish shelling was likely meant as a response to attacks by Kurdish forces. On May 30, the town of Maraanaz was shelled in response to a failed infiltration attempt by the Afrin Liberation Forces.
In another incident, on May 19, four Syrian soldiers were wounded when Turkish forces shelled Maraanaz in response to an attack by the ALF.
Syrian troops are present in this part of Aleppo along with several units of the Russian Military Police to monitor the ceasefire there and deter Turkish forces.
The SAA does not usually respond to Turkish shelling on northern Aleppo. Nevertheless, Kurdish forces always strike back by attacking the Turkish military and its proxies.
So maddening that Turkey continues to murder and rape the people of Syria, through their terrorist funded groups, if not outright military invasion of Syria. Turkey is committing crimes against humanity.