At least 37 fighters and members were killed and injured in the violent clash and explosions within the war of controlling al-Bab
The vicinity of al-Bab in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo is witnessing a continuation of clashes between the “Euphrates Shield” forces and Turkish forces against the “Islamic State” organization, in a new offensive by the first from the eastern area towards the southeastern area of al-Bab and Bzaah, in an attempt to get around a new area and complete the siege of the “Islamic State” organization in the city, in conjunction with the military operation of the regime forces in the southern area of the city, and a violent explosion shook Thursday evening the 2nd of February 2017, an area near Bzaah town which is near al-Bab city, caused by detonating a vehicle bomb by the organization, it targeted locations and positions of the Turkish forces and the forces of the “Euphrates Shield”, the shelling and clashes between both operations have killed at least 11 persons of the “Islamic State” organization, and also have killed and injured at least 26 fighters of the factions and Turkish forces
This advancement towards the eastern and the southeastern areas comes after Turkish forces’ inability and repeated failure -although they brought large military reinforcements to the area- to achieve an advancement towards the city from the western and northern and northeastern areas, as well as starting a process of closing the road in the face of the regime forces, who are advancing towards al-Bab city by a military operation started by the regime forces in southern and southwestern areas, on the 17th of January 2017, also the intense strikes by Turkish forces and warplanes on areas in al-Bab city and other areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo have resulted in the death of a person at least and injured several others , rising to 290 civilian casualties including 59 children under the age of eighteen and 32 citizen woman over the age of eighteen, the number of persons who were killed and documented by the Syrian Observatory for human rights in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo due to the Turkish bombardment on al-Bab city and its countryside and the towns of Bzaah and Tedef, since the 13th of November 2016, the date of the arrival of the “Euphrates Shield” to the outskirts of al-Bab city, and until the 2nd day of February 2017, and within the casualties there are 229 civilians including 50 children under the age of eighteen, and 28 citizen women were killed in shelling by Turkish forces and Turkish warplanes on areas in al-Bab city and other areas in the towns of Tedef and Bzaah, and other places in the countryside of al-Bab, since the first defeat for the Turkish forces in the 21st of December 2016 at the hands of the “Islamic State” organization.
Also the Turkish forces were able the day before yesterday to advance and control the villages of al-Ghouz and Abu al-Zendin, after the withdrawal of organization from them due to heavy shelling and violent clashes, and with this control by the Turkish forces and the “Euphrates Shield ” they were able to advance to about 1.5 kilometers to the main road al-Bab – Aleppo, where any new advancement for these forces in the coming days will close the road from a second area farther from al-Bab city in front of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, who are about 7 km away southwest of al-Bab, after starting a military operation in the 17th of January 2017, and controlling 18 villages in the southwestern area of the city alone, and reaching al-Madyounah area and then stopping in this the area and launching a military operation in the southern area and controlling 4 villages, and then the controlled a village located about 8 kilometers to the south of Kweires airbase near Sabkhat al-Jabboul in the southeastern countryside of Aleppo.
Reliable sources suggested to the Syrian Observatory that the Turkish forces after their inability and failure several times to reach the outskirts of al-Bab city from several areas, are trying to cut off the road in the face of the regime forces not to get to the city, in order to monopolize the process of controlling al-Bab city, despite regime’s simultaneous military operation in the southern area of al-Bab city, and reaching a distance of about 7 km from the city, and in conjunction with counterattacks by the organization to repel the advancement of regime in this area.
Controlling al-Bab city by the forces of “the Euphrates Shield” and Turkish forces will allow them to expand their controlled areas in the northern and northeastern countryside of Aleppo, northern and north east, the Turkish forces crossed the border in the 24th of August 2016 when the operation of “Euphrates Shield” was started, this operation consists of rebel and Islamic factions backed by the Turkish forces, they took control of Jarabulus city, and large areas of the northern and northeastern countryside of Aleppo, followed by the entry of a new batch of Turkish forces, vehicles, and tanks through areas controlled by the factions in the northern countryside of Aleppo, and the rebel and Islamic factions of the “Euphrates Shield” operation supported by Turkish tanks and warplanes were able to control the rest of the border between the western banks of the Euphrates River down to Azaz until they reached the edges of al-Bab city months ago.