Skip to main content

Stakes rise in Syria as Turkey clashes with pro-Assad militias

As Turkey’s forces approach the center of Afrin city in Syria, it is getting harder for Moscow to control events.
GettyImages-920673490.jpg
Read in 

Turkey looks determined to march on the center of Syria's Afrin city by way of Jindires, a move that will shift Ankara's strategy from rural to urban warfare and that threatens a protracted, difficult battle.

Turkey’s gendarmerie and police special operations units on standby in Turkey near the Syrian border entered the Afrin district of Aleppo province during battles for the Jindires and Rajo areas. That movement indicates the operation’s focus will indeed turn from rural terrain to urban locations. On March 1, 80-100 Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG) attacked a Turkish gendarmerie detachment west of Rajo. The YPG elements infiltrated the area held by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) by using prepared tunnels and taking advantage of the dense fog that for four days had restricted air reconnaissance and close air support. Eight specialized gendarmerie noncommissioned officers and two fighters with the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) were killed, while 13 soldiers were wounded — five of them seriously.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.