Turkish Tanks Spotted Amidst Ongoing Clashes Between Syrian Rebels and Kurds

Amid ongoing Turkish-backed Syrian rebel operations in the northern Aleppo Province, Turkish tanks were spotted in the town of Marea on October 22, supporting Syrian rebel groups in clashes against locally deployed Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Clashes have been reported inside the town, with unconfirmed reports of injuries amongst civilians.

The clashes began during a disagreement over territorial control of a newly captured nearby village called Sheikh Issa, according to Kurdish news reports.

The Turkish-backed Operation Euphrates Shield has caused significant tensions between Syrian Arab rebel outfits and their Kurdish counterparts, who had largely defended themselves from the Islamic State’s initial 2014-2015 ground assaults on the areas. In this context, newly captured territories from IS have cause skirmishes between the two factions, largely due to Turkey’s historic military stance against Kurdish autonomy.

In light of the ethnic tensions, border areas of the Aleppo Province facing Turkey have seen numerous Kurdish protests in recent days, calling for Turkey’s military withdrawal from Syria. Credit: YouTube/ANHA