ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed more troops and weaponry to the north Syria town of Tel Tamr on Thursday in a bid to reverse gains made in the area by Turkey-backed militias in recent days.
Turkish proxies attacked the Hasaka province town of Tel Tamr on Wednesday, taking control of a number of surrounding villages and displacing residents. In response, Damascus sent reinforcements to the town on Thursday and retook the villages.
Syrian troops had already been sent to Tel Tamr and to Syria-Turkey border areas following a deal made earlier this month between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus to deploy SAA forces to fend off Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring.
Fresh clashes in Tel Tamr come days after two Turkish agreements – one with the US, one with Russia - expired, leading to the withdrawal of SDF forces from Syria-Turkey border areas, as confirmed by Russia.
On Thursday night, 18 Syrian soldiers captured close to the border town of Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain) by Turkey-backed militiamen on Tuesday were handed over to Russian military police after Russia-Turkey discussions of hostage transfer. In footage captured by Rudaw, one of the soldiers thanked Russia for his release.
Turkey had confirmed the detention of the “regime elements” on Tuesday and said it would discuss their fate with Russia.
“18 people who were claimed to be regime elements were captured alive in the southeast of Rasulayn (Sari Kani) during the search/detection/reconnaissance/security activities,” read a statement from the Turkish defense ministry.
In Washington, co-leader of the SDF’s political wing warned on Thursday that Tel Tamr is “under a real threat” from Turkey and its Syrian proxies.
“How can Turkish planes still fly in the [SDF-controlled] areas while the air is under the control of the US?” asked Ilham Ahmed, head of the Syrian Democratic Council.
Hours before the militants’ attack on Tel Tamr, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to extend the borders of the “safezone” he plans to establish in northern Syria, where several million Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey during unrest at home are to be resettled.
“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,” Erdogan told a parliamentary meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Wednesday.
