Syria – Turkish regime inflames northern Syria conflicts; Details
Fierce clashes between rival Syrian opposition factions fighting in northwestern Syria continue, and a day after a fragile truce came after five days of deadly fighting in the last remaining opposition enclave. The main jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), listed as a terrorist organization by the US, Turkey, and others, was forced by rebel militias and armed militias backed by Turkey to accept a peace deal on Saturday and expand its hold on territory.
Both sides have accused each other of contradicting the terms of the Turkish-brokered deal, which pulls fighters from Afrin and other cities to the frontlines and paves the way for a unified civil administration, with fierce fighting raging near the rugged terrain around the village of Kafr Janneh north of Aleppo where both sides sent reinforcements, amid accusations that Turkey is fueling war in northern Syria in order to expand its influence under the pretext of securing its borders.
Turkish Deputy
Residents are living in fear of the brutality and terrorism of Turkish-backed jihadist groups seeking to take control of the strategic border town of Azaz, AFP reported. A commander in a major faction still on the sidelines said on condition of anonymity that the jihadist group was approaching the main Bab al-Salameh border crossing with Turkey northwest of Azaz, and that the infighting had weakened the Syrian opposition since the uprising began in 2011, giving Turkey an opportunity to support extremist groups and terrorist militias. Western intelligence and opposition sources say HTS has long sought a broader economic and security role in areas of northern Syria outside its stronghold in the densely populated city of Idlib. They say HTS leader Mohammed al-Joulani’s goal is to expand the civil administration that now runs public services in the Idlib region and become Turkey’s proxy in the region if the Turkish army is forced to withdraw from Syria.
International pressure
AFP reported that there is great UN pressure for a nationwide ceasefire. A UN envoy said: The UN will press for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria even after fighting broke out in the last rebel-held area, resulting in a two-year truce there that has killed hundreds. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen spoke to reporters after meeting with the Foreign Minister in Damascus. He said the economic situation in Syria is “very difficult, with nearly 15 million people in need of humanitarian assistance”. Over the past years, Syrian government forces have regained control of much of the country. A Russian-brokered ceasefire in March 2020 halted a Russian-backed government offensive against the extremists’ last stronghold in northwestern Syria, but despite relative calm, bombing and airstrikes have killed hundreds of civilians over the past two years.
Because of unrest and proxy wars, more than 80 per cent of Syrians now live in poverty, leaving many of the population dependent on humanitarian aid, she said, and the conflict that began in 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.
