Alwaght-Following Turkish airstrikes and terrorist’s attacks in Tell Rifaat town in northern Aleppo Governorate, northwestern Syria, there are reports of an emerging strategic alliance between the Syrian Army and Kurdish groups to deal with future attacks by Turkey and terrorist groups under its command.
The town, held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was attacked on 19 October, in the Turkish-led Euphrates Shield operation. Reports indicate that offensive was later suspended on 24 October. Damascus reacted harshly to the bombing of Kurdish militias in northern Syria, vowing to respond next time Ankara sends its planes over its border. In a statement, the Syrian Defense Ministry accused Turkey of “flagrant aggression, which targeted innocent citizens,” saying that it considers it “a dangerous development that could escalate the situation.” In a move that further antagonizes Syria, the Turkish government has repeatedly said it intends to set up a buffer zone inside northern Syria. Apparently the Syrian Army and Kurdish groups in the region have formed an alliance to confront their common enemy, Turkey.
Complex conflict in the strategic city of Aleppo
Northern Syria is one of the most complex regions in the ongoing conflict in the Arab state due to the closeness of areas under the control of Syrian army and Takfiri terrorists and also its proximity to the Turkish border. The strategic province of Aleppo (Halab) is also located in this region and Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the economic capital, whose recapturing would be of a military and psychological significance. Due to this strategic significance, several Western countries are backing terrorist groups in the region by providing them with deadly and sophisticated weapons to stop the rapid advance of Syrian forces and local allies especially after reports of a new alliance between the Syrian alliance and Kurdish forces with the objective of stopping future military aggression by Turkish forces.
The Syrian forces are not only advancing in the northern neighborhoods of Aleppo city by are now moving to liberate the south western parts especially near the military academy. On Tuesday, the Syrian army and its allies liberated the two strategic hills – Tal Ohod and Tal Bazo – and seized the Tal Mutah hill from Fatah al-Sham Front (formerly al-Nusra Front) and its allies in southwestern Aleppo.
Last Friday, the Russian General Staff said that terrorists used the humanitarian pause in Aleppo to reinforce and prepare new attacks on the outskirts of the city.
"A group of over 1,200 militants, including 30 suicide-bombers, is preparing an attack on Aleppo from south-west. They have tanks, armored vehicles and over 20 pickups with heavy machine guns," Rudskoy said.
Syrian army-Kurds alliance a game changer
Elsewhere, questions are being raised as to why Turkey suspended its operations in Tell Rifaat especially following reports that no terrorists group tried to stop the operation which Ankara code named Euphrates Shield. The operation was launched by Turkey to ostensibly target ISIS terrorist groups but instead targeted Kurds who have been engaged in a long battle against ISIS. In many instances, whenever Turkish-backed terrorist groups attacked towns or villages occupied by ISIS, they would immediately take over as ISIS would leave without much resistance but that has not been the case in Tell Rifaat.
An alliance of Turkish-backed terrorist groups, operating under the banner of Ankara-led Operation Euphrates Shield, declared Tell Rifaat, 40km north of Aleppo, a military zone and gave the Kurdish, group, YPG 48 hours to leave the town on October 18. It was seized by the YPG from Turkish-backed terrorists in February 2016. The reason of tensions is the recent YPG advance in the direction of strategic town of Al-Bab. The YPG took control of few villages located at the important roads heading to the ISIS-controlled town. In turn, to take control of Al-Bab and prevent the YPG’s chances to link up the Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria are one the main goals of Turkish military operations in Syria.
The coming days will be very crucial as the strategic alliance between Syrian Army and Kurdish forces might prove a game changer in confronting Turkey's illegal aggression on the country and the terrorists groups it backs in the region. It remains to be seen if such an alliance taking shape at the border with Turkey will be effective in successfully battling ISIS terrorists in northern and eastern Syria.
