Turkish forces shell Syrian villages amid massive military buildup

Turkish military forces have shelled two villages in Syria’s northwestern province of Aleppo, only a few days after Ankara dispatched military and logistical equipment to northern amid mass protests against the presence of Turkish troops in the West Asian country.

Beirut-based al-Mayadeen television news network, citing local sources, said Turkish forces fired heavy artillery rounds at Ain Digna and Bailounieh on Thursday.

There were no immediate reports about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused.

The development came amid reports that the Turkish military is poised to launch two new military operations in northern Syria.

Informed sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that Turkish-backed militants are on high alert in northern Syria, and would involve themselves once troops start the onslaughts.

The sources described the Turkish military operations as preemptive, emphasizing they could begin at any time.

“An operation will be mounted in [Syria’s northern] Idlib province to support terrorist groups based there. Another operation will be launched in northeastern Syria against Kurdish militants,” the unnamed sources added.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing local sources, reported on Wednesday that two convoys of 100 trucks each, carrying battle tanks, artillery batteries and logistical supplies, had crossed into Syrian territories through Khirbet al-Joz crossing, and headed towards Jabal al-Zawiya area in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.

The report added that the convoys were meant to fortify the positions of Turkish military forces in northwest Syria, and help militants fighting Syrian government troops.

Idlib is the last major stronghold of foreign-backed terrorists, especially Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group, fighting against the legitimate government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Earlier, SANA reported that dozens of Turkish military trucks loaded with various ammunition and logistical supplies as well as armored personnel carriers entered Syrian territories on Tuesday.

Local sources added that the convoy later headed toward positions held by Turkish-backed militants in the city of Ras al-Ayn.

The sources noted that a large number of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles flew overhead as military and logistical equipment were brought into Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials have said the Damascus government will respond through all legitimate means available to the ongoing ground offensive by Turkish forces and allied militants in the northern part of the war-battered Arab country.

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi on Wednesday slammed the illegal presence of foreign forces in Syria, and demanded their immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the crisis-stricken country.

“Occupation of Syrian territories by foreign forces must end. All occupying and unwanted foreign forces must, therefore, leave the country without any preconditions or further delays,” he said at a UN Security Council session on Syria.

SS