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On November 13, the Turksih Armed Forces and a coalition of pro-Turksih militant groups, known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), reached the outskirts of the key ISIS-controlled town of al-Bab in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo.
On November 14, the Turkey-led forces seized the villages of Waqah, Hezwane, Kufayra and Bishin Jarn near al-Bab and announced that the storm of al-Bab itsellf will be launched in the nearest future.
Now, the FSA is deploying reinforcements to the area:
#EuphratesShield buildup in outskirts of Al-Bab (incl. #TSK T-155) to prepare the storming of last major town #ISIS holds in #Aleppo prov. pic.twitter.com/60uc6LUiLA
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) November 14, 2016
Local sources report that Turkey’s artillery, battle tanks and warplanes and the US-led coalition’s warplanes have been delivering strikes on targets inside and outside al-Bab since last weekend.
Mmeanwhile, the Turkish army’s artillery have been shelling the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), attempting advance in the direction of al-Bab. According to AlMasdarNews, Turkish main battle tanks shelled the YPG near the ISIS-controlled village of Tall al-Jijan, killing up to 10 YPG fighters. This was not the first case of artillery shelling by the Turkey-led forces on YPG forces that attempt to advane on ISIS positions in the Syrian province of Aleppo.
Oh snap, hope they won’t capture Al-Bab, cause then they’d easily reach army’s positions and it will be a mess in which Turkey can’t afford nor want to participate, but the terrorists it supports will push anyway.
In best case scenario Turkey abandons the armed criminals and they get encircled by Afrin guys from west, army from south and SDF from east and completely wiped out
In worst case scenario… ain’t wanna even think about what hell would ensue if these vicious terrorists, some of which themselves claim to be worse than ISIS reaches outskirts of Manbij or even Aleppo.
We will capture the Al-Bab. But SAA/Assad should have no worries. We have no beef with him. We won’t be attacking their positions. If FSA decides act on their own; they will lose the support of Ankara.
This is all happening with the concent of Putin.
It seems to me that once the Turkish backed rebels take Al Bab, they will head for northeast Aleppo with Turkish tanks and artillery. They are only a few km from the narrow Syrian army buffer that keeps the rebels from breaking the siege on East Aleppo. They could confront the Syrian army in a few days and with serious Turkish support could easily overwhelm the Syrians and reach East Aleppo.
Why aren’t the Russians doing anything? Do they have a deal with Ergodon that he promises not to do this? Ergodon has never kept a promise yet.
THE turkish rebels have taken areas vacated by ISUS. Turkish jets have been allowed to bomb AL BAB only by Rusia/Syria’s permission. If ISUS is in full retreat SAA/YPG will fill the void. In the short term the rebels may get a nasty surprise at AL BAB from ISUS. If not, SAA will move in from the south; Aleppo is no threat from the (green) turkish rebels. Ergodon will never mess with Putin!
Many understandable speculations about this.