Syrian Army Reinforcements Continue To Arrive In Northern Aleppo (Videos)
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continues to deployed reinforcements in Kurdish-held areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
On December 17, videos showing two large convoys of the army with dozens of battel tanks and infantry fighting vehicles surfaced online. The heavy weapons were reportedly deployed in the outskirts of the town of Manbij, a stronghold of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SAA began expanding its presence in the northern Aleppo countryside in late November in response to threats of a new Turkish invasion. The elite 25th Special Mission Forces Division, mostly known by their former name Tiger Forces, was among the first formations to arrive in the region.
Turkey launched on November 20 an air operation against Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq, codenamed Claw-Sword, in response to the November 13 Istanbul bombing. Ankara claims that the core faction of the SDF, the People’s Protection Units, was involved in the terrorist attack, which killed six and left more than 80 others wounded.
Senior Turkish officials have already warned that Operation Claw-Sword could soon morph to a ground offensive. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan named Manbij and the nearby towns of Tell Rifaat and Kobane in the northern and northeastern Aleppo countryside as the main targets of any new offensive against the SDF.
Turkey faced much pressure from the United States, the main backer of the SDF, and Russia as a result of its threats. The SAA deployment in the northern Aleppo countryside is likely meant to mount more pressure on Turkey as well as to limit the influence of the SDF.
It’s worth noting that Russia has been making efforts to restore ties between Turkey and Syria. Erdogan has already voiced his readiness to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and normalizes relations with his government.
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