The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The Turkish Forces enter the largest military column to date into the Syrian territory

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a military column belongs to the Turkish forces has entered the Syrian territory this evening from Kafrluseen border area with Iskenderun, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: this column includes tens of armored vehicles, heavy vehicles and members, and is considered the largest in terms of vehicles and members among the columns of the Turkish Forces that have entered the Syrian territory until now, it worth mentioning that the Syrian Observatory has published on the evening of the 18th of October 2017 that Areas in the Syrian north are witnessing the continued entry of Turkish vehicles to the areas where the previously entered forces have positioned in in the vicinity of Afrin area, adjacent to YPG-controlled sites in the countryside of Aleppo, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received information that several Turkish military vehicles have entered the Syrian territory through Atmah crossing, and headed towards Darat Azza area in the western countryside of Aleppo, while the Syrian Observatory published on the 15th of October 2017 that the military reinforcements of machines and forces continue entering for the Turkish Forces in the northern Syrian territory, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received information from several intersected sources that several Turkish machines had entered the Syrian territory in the countryside of Idlib through Kafrluseen border area, which witnessed previously seen killing by the snipers of the Turkish border guards of citizens who were passing near the border or who tried to cross to the Turkish side, and the military vehicles headed towards the areas in which the Turkish forces -who had entered in the past few days- had positioned.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published that Syrian North is witnessing deployment of Turkish forces who entered within a military convey from the Turkish territory heading towards contact areas of the rebel and Islamic factions and the YPG in the Syrian territory in the vicinity of Afrin area in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo. The SOHR learned that the Turkish forces, which entered with more than 23 armors, armored vehicles and heavy weapons, after series of entry of reconnaissance Turkish forces during the past four days, are stationed in Jebel Salwa area, which is adjacent to the YPG-held areas in Afrin and nearby contact points on the administrative borders of Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo, amid an expectation of entry of more convoys, vehicles to be deployed on all contact points between the YPG in Afrin and its countryside.

Also Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published that the Turkish scouting forces are continuing to enter the Syrian territory for the fourth consecutive day, where vehicles carrying Turkish scouting forces and commanders accompanied by the protection of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham were seen, while they were entering the Syrian territory through Atmah border crossing, as a part of their scouting rounds which they carried out during the past three days, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday, that  Turkish reconnaissance forces, which were supposed to go around the western countryside of Aleppo and the contact lines with the YPG in Afrin, were prevented from completing their tour by a rebel Islamic movement operating on the contact lines with the Kurdish forces in Afrin, and source pointed out to the SOHR that the Turkish forces accompanying the Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham were prevented from reaching areas of presence of the movement members because of the tension between the movement and Tahrir Al-Sham, where the Movement accused Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham of claiming to have most of the contact points between the factions and the Kurdish forces. Also SOHR received information that members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkish delegation were prevented from entering the area, so both of the Turkish delegation and the Hayyaat objected the decision of the Movement on preventing them entering and both of them returned to the borders.