ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Just hours after the Russian-brokered ceasefire between Turkey and Syria’s Kurds expired on Wednesday morning, sporadic fighting resumed across northern Syria.
With the full withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the border region complete, Turkey is now mooting the further expansion of its planned ‘safe zone’ deeper into Syrian territory.
Wednesday was marked by a rash of fighting between Turkish-backed militiamen and Syrian regime forces.
Turkey agreed on October 22 to pause Operation Peace Spring against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), giving the group 150 hours to withdraw 32km from the Syria-Turkey border.
Russia announced the completion of the withdrawal on Tuesday. The ceasefire expired at 6am local time on Wednesday.
Just hours later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he may expand his so-called ‘safe zone’ along the shared border beyond the 32km line.
The Turkish president plans to resettle millions of Syrian refugees currently hosted by Turkey inside this corridor.
“We will give a drastic response to any attack coming from outside of the safe zone [in northern Syria] and we will expand our safe zone area if needed,” he told a parliamentary meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Wednesday.
In response to the Turkish operation, which began October 9, the SDF struck a deal with the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad allowing the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) to secure the border, while leaving the political autonomy of the Kurdish administration unchecked.
Shortly after Erdogan issued his new threat to expand the safe zone further south, Turkish-backed rebels attacked regime troops south of Tel Tamr – around 30km south of the Turkish border.
The people of Ras al-Ain (Sare Kani), which was recently seized by the Turkish-backed militias, had fled to Tel Tamr to escape the fighting and treat their injured. Now they have again been forced to flee.
“The situation is not good. They [Turkish-backed militia] are shelling south of Tel Tamr from 7-8km,” one man told Rudaw as he left town on his motorcycle.
Another man said the people of Tel Tamr are “terrified” of the approaching forces, and have even started moving their livestock, fearing looters.
Military vehicles belonging to regime forces were also spotted leaving the area.
Turkey is yet to comment on the clashes, but SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali confirmed the attack on Tel Tamr in a tweet.
As guarantors of the ceasefires, the US and Russia are “responsible” for the attack, Bali said.
“There is a ceasefire agreement in place which requires SDF to withdraw and Turkish army to stop aggression. Villages of Dirbasiya and Tel Temr are still being heavily attacked, even the ones in which we handed over positions to SAA,” he tweeted.
“It’s clear that Turkey has no intention of halting attacks. Russia, US are responsible for bloodshed and displacement of thousands of civilians who are now fleeing their homes in Tel Tamr,” he added in a separate tweet.
The SDF-affiliated North Press Agency (NPA) released the video of an SAA soldier who was allegedly injured in the attack.
“They attacked us with tanks,” he told NPA.
A number of regime soldiers were captured by the Turkish-backed militiamen on Tuesday. Footage has emerged of them abusing the captives.
Turkey confirmed the capture of 18 “regime elements” and said it will discuss their fate with Russia.
“18 people who were claimed to be the regime elements were captured alive in the southeast of Rasulayn during the search/detection/reconnaissance/security activities,” read a statement from Turkish defense ministry on Tuesday.
“[The] issue is being examined and coordinated with the authorities of the Russian Federation.”
According to Syrian state media outlet SANA, units of the Syrian Arab Army clashed with Turkish forces in the village of Tel al-Ward near Ras al-Ayn on Wednesday.
“Meanwhile, the Turkish offensive and its mercenary terrorists targeted with artillery shells locals’ houses in the villages of Tel Tamr northern countryside, causing the displacement of a large number of people,” SANA reports.
The defense ministry in Damascus released a statement on Wednesday calling on the people of the autonomous region of north and east Syria to side with regime forces.
“We in Syria are facing a common enemy, and we must sacrifice as the people of unified Syria from the Arabs and Kurds to restore every inch of the beloved Syrian territories,” the ministry said, according to SANA.
