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Syria
Turkish soldiers east of Ras al-AIn, northern Syria, watch as a tank fires on positions held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), October 28, 2019. Photo: Nazeer al-Khatib / AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At least six Syrian regime soldiers were wounded and a dozen taken captive in clashes with Turkish forces and their Syrian militia proxies on Tuesday near Ras al-Ain, a war monitor reports. Russian military police also reportedly came under fire.
“Heavy fighting erupted for the first time between the Syrian and Turkish armies,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports.
Artillery and machine gun fire were exchanged near the village of Assadiya, south of Ras al-Ain.
Videos circulating on Telegram by pro-militia groups purportedly show several Syrian regime soldiers detained in the village of Tel Hawa being kicked and insulted by militiamen.
In a separate video, a regime soldier can be seen being led away by a militiaman holding him by his collar.
Another video shows a militiaman posing with the body of a regime soldier, who has been shot in the head, blood spilling on the concrete floor.
“The regime pigs,” the militiaman says, pointing at the body.
Footage posted on pro-militia pages on messaging app Telegram show Turkish-backed fighters abusing captured regime troops. Credit: Telegram
Turkish mortar fire wounded four civilians in the town of Darbasiyah as a Russian military police patrol was passing through the area, according to the Syrian regime’s official news agency SANA and North Press Agency.
“[Four] civilians were injured in [Darbasiyah] by a shell launched by Turkish military at the border crossing when Russian military police arrived at the crossing,” NPA tweeted.
On October 6, US President Donald Trump ordered American forces to withdraw from the Syria-Turkey border to make way for a Turkish military operation against Kurdish forces. Turkey launched a ground incursion on October 9 with the aim of creating a 30km-deep buffer zone.
Turkey subsequently reached a deal with Russia for Kurdish forces to pull back from the entire border area.
Adhering to their agreements, Kurdish forces agreed to withdraw from a 120km section of the 440km border requested by Turkey. However, sporadic clashes have continued.
Russian military officials met with their Turkish counterparts in Ankara on Tuesday.
A Russian military police officer deployed in Qamishli told Rudaw on Tuesday that joint border patrols with Turkey are contingent upon the outcome of the meeting.
“We will start our joint patrol [with Turkey] tomorrow. It will include Qamishli, Amuda and Darbasiyah,” the officer said.
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