Illustrative image.
Late on July 10, heavy clashes broke out between Turkish-backed militants in the northeastern Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on the border with Turkey.
A personal disagreement was reportedly behind the conflict, which saw militants from two different units of the Hamzah Division clashing with each other. The Hamza Division is a key faction of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.
During the clashes, a number of rocket-propelled grenades hit the border gate with Turkey to the north of Ras al-Ain. No damage was reported.
المناطق الامنه – رأس العين
اشتباكات بين مجموعتين تابعتين لفرقة الحمزة -بشارع المحطة الجنوبي- في مدينة رأس العين pic.twitter.com/6WCWc8ZEA6
— زينو ياسر محاميد 2011 (@zenhom75) July 10, 2021
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a militant was killed and four others were wounded as a result of the clashes.
The Turkish military and its proxies occupied Ras al-Ain on October 20 of 2019, following a battle with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which showed fierce resistance. Dozens of Turkish-backed militants were killed in the battle.
Since falling into the hands of Turkish-backed militants, the situation in Ras al-Ain has been unstable. Locals are reporting human rights violations on a regular basis. Furthermore, bombings and clashes have become very common. The situation in other Turkish-occupied areas in northeastern Syria is not any better.
