Turkish military forces have now established four small bases near the town of Ain Issa in northern Syria’s Raqqa province. The move comes as clashes continue between Turkish-backed forces of the opposition Syrian National Army and the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls Ain Issa.

The bases are to the north, east and west of Ain Issa. The Saida facility and another near the village of Hoshan were established in December. A base near the village of al-Mushairefah was erected at the end of January and the al-Muallaq facility was established March 10.

Turkey supplied the four bases with surveillance towers, radars, military vehicles and heavy weapons and built high earthen berms around them. The bases, located near the M4 international highway linking the cities of Hasakah and Aleppo, were also equipped with a Turkish-made IHTAR anti-drone system.

A source in the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) who works in one of these bases told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “The four military bases were established in the wake of an agreement with the Russian forces to put an end to Operation Peace Spring and to prevent the advance of the SDF toward the areas under the control of the FSA-affiliated Syrian National Army and Turkish army.”