The pace of shelling by the Turkish forces and their supported factions increases over Afrin with clashes in its northern border and in the countryside of Marea

The shelling pace of shelling increases on Afrin, the border area with Turkey, in conjunction with the flight of warplanes in the sky of the area, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from several reliable sources that the Turkish forces and the factions supported by them who operate within the “Euphrates Shield” Operation have targeted areas in Aqbiya village in Shirawa area and Dikmdash in Sharra Township, and in Iska, Bleblikah, Qarrah Baba, Jisr Hashraka, Surka, Jabal Keryeh and other areas in Raju Township, coincided with shelling targeted areas in Bulbula Township, also this shelling coincided with violent clashes lasted for a short period time between the Turkish Forces against groups of Syria Democratic Forces in Balyeh area of Bulbula Township located on the northern border of Afrin with the Turkish side, accompanied by exchange of targeting between both parties, but no information about casualties yet.

This shelling was accompanied by targeting by the Turkish forces and the factions for areas in the villages of Samouqa, Hsajek and other areas controlled by the factions in the northern countryside of Aleppo, while warplanes believed to be Turkish was flying over the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, also clashes took place between fighters of the Turkey-supported rebel and Islamic factions against the Syria Democratic Forces, after which 2 fighters of the factions were killed, the sources of the Observatory confirmed that their bodies were in the hands of the Syria Democratic Forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that the Turkish forces and Turkey-backed factions shelled places in the area of Rubar Camp located in Basla area, and other places in the areas of Rajo, Judaris, Jisr Hashraka, Qura Baba, Hobka, Khalil, Haj Hasna, and other area in Shara district, resulting in the injury of a woman and more damage to the properties of citizens, rising to 4 people including 2 children and a woman, the number of citizens, who were injured since the first day of escalation on the 13th of January, and reliable sources stressed to the Syrian Observatory that the shelling was concentrated today on the western part of Afrin area.

The SOHR learned from several reliable sources that the Russian forces haven’t evacuated their positions in Afrin area so far, despite the escalation of preparations of the Turkish military operation claimed to begin within hours of upcoming days, and the SOHR published hours ago that the military preparations are still continuing to start Afrin Operation which will be carried out by the Turkish forces in Afrin area controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, and intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that hundreds of fighters of the factions operating within “The Euphrates Shield” Operation, as well as the Turkish-backed rebel and Islamic factions operating in Aleppo, headed from the northern countryside of Aleppo through the Turkish side, to the fronts adjacent the northern border of Afrin area with Turkey and its western border with Afrin area.