The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies have established a new position in the occupied areas north of the strategic M4 highway in northeast Syria.
On November 24, Obretix, a defense observer on Twitter, released satellite images showing the new position, which is located 10 km east of the town of Suluk in northern Raqqa. The position appears to be housing military vehicles of the Turkish Armed Forces.
another Turkish military outpost was set up ~10km east of Suluk https://t.co/X2DKkUke9W pic.twitter.com/2KTvXeZgjC
— Samir (@obretix) November 24, 2019
The M4 is considered the spine of transportation in northeastern Syria. The highway links al-Hasakah with Raqqa and Aleppo.
In the last few weeks, the Turkish military established two posts north of the highway, between the towns of Ain Issa and Tell Tamr.
A day earlier, the M4 was blocked for several hours as a result of a Turkish-led attack on Ain Issa. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed to repel the attack. Thus the highway became safe again.
Even if the SAA do control the highway it’s still vulnerable to SNA attacks, there’s nearly 200 km of highway the SNA can cover with fire control positions, launch surprise attacks on convoys, place IED’s ect. So control is a dubious word to use in this context, I can control a poisoned lake but can’t use it myself is an analogy I could use. But I’d also have to point out that’s still preferable to letting the enemy control the poisoned lake, because when the poison eventually dilutes I’m the one who gets to use it then, not the enemy. Unfortunately it means the SAA will have to keep fighting for the highway until the world finally ends, or at least until Erdogan gives up, but I’m not sure which will come first, the end of the world or the other less likely alternative, Erdogan giving up.
Repelled so highway is safe again? Safe???!?! M4 will be a peace corridor no matter Kurdish communists try to control it, there is no other option.