Turkey shells 19 settlements in northern Syria

According to the Firat News Agency, Turkish forces fired 545 shells. The shelling hit a Syrian forces outpost, killing three soldiers.

Five more Syrian government servicemen were killed on Sunday. Overall, Syrian forces lost a total of 22 servicemen since the beginning of Turkey’s Operation Claw-Sword. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) lost 35 fighters.

Earlier, the Syrian military command relocated forces and 20 armored vehicles to Aleppo in order to repel a potential Turkish attack. The government forces occupied positions in Manbij, Tell-Rifaat and Ayn-al-Arab districts, currently controlled by Kurdish forces.

Meanwhile, several convoys with weapons and ammunition were moved through the Bab al-Salam checkpoint to the Ankara-controlled security zone in northern Syria, according to Al Akhbar. Opposition sources told the newspaper that pro-Turkish militias deployed in Azaz, Jarabulus, and Al-Bab districts were put on high alert.

The news comes as the Syrian Democratic Forces have reached out to Russia with a request to mediate an agreement with the Syrian government to coordinate efforts in the country’s northeast.

“We (the SDF) have asked the representatives of Russia to initiate an agreement about a coordination of efforts [with the official government] in Damascus to protect our territory,” the SDF spokesman told the Al-Hadath television channel on Monday.

He said there was a meeting with Russian representatives where “they (Russians) delivered [to the SDF] Turkey’s conditions.” The SDF rejected the conditions, the spokesman said.

The SDF spokesman said, “Washington reaffirmed it doesn’t approve the military operation [by Turkish forces in the northeast of Syria], however, the US hasn’t made any serious moves” to settle the conflict.

Qatari Al-Jazeera channel reported on Monday night, quoting a Turkish government official, that this country considers the non-conduct of military operations in northern Syria dependent on the departure of Kurdish militias from these areas.

According to this report, Turkey has given a deadline to fulfill its conditions, otherwise, it will carry out ground operations in the cities of Manbij, Ayn al-Arab and Tal Rifat.