The fourth aggression.. Turkish bombardment on two residential areas in Northern Syria

Turkish forces shelled two residential areas in the northern Aleppo countryside in Syria, amid expectations of a fourth offensive in an area witnessing a security escalation.

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The Kurdish news agency said that the Turkish army and pro-government gunmen on Thursday evening fired shells and rockets at the villages of Ayn Daqna and Al-Bilouniya in the northern Aleppo countryside, and dozens of shells exploded in these areas.

The Turkish bombardment comes at a time when northern Syria is witnessing a recent security escalation. It coincides with statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he threatened to launch a military operation.

In comments following an attack that killed a Turkish soldier in early October, Erdogan said that Turkey would “do what it takes”, hinting at military action in northern Syria.

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Fourth Aggression:

“Ankara seems more determined than ever to launch a fourth military operation in northern Syria, after the Turkish parliament approved an extension of the government’s mandate on the number of additional troops.”

On Thursday, the Russian news agency Novosti said, citing a source in the Syrian opposition that Turkey is preparing to launch two new military operations in Syria without a prior announcement and “at any moment”.

The source said that the pro-Turkey armed formations were put on full combat alert, in response to Ankara’s directives, noting that “preparations were launched to launch a military operation, and in this regard, the armed units were divided to operate on several directions in Idleb province and some villages in the countryside of the cities of Marea and Azaz and near Menagh military airport in the vicinity of Menagh city, as well as at the borders with Kameshli and Al-Hasakah”.

According to the source, Ankara-backed Syrian opposition factions are preparing to launch two simultaneous military operations, one in Idleb province in support of armed formations there, and the other in the northeast against the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“As Ankara prepares an army likely to take part in a military operation in northern Syria, attention is set for an upcoming meeting between Erdogan and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, to resolve outstanding issues, foremost among them the military operation in northern Syria.”

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In October 2014, the Turkish parliament approved, for the first time, a mandate to send armed forces to Syria. Since then, the Turkish army has carried out a series of attacks, most notably the Euphrates Shield in 2016 in Rif Aleppo, the Olive Branch in Afrin in 2018, and the Spring of Peace in eastern Syria in 2019.