Image: aa.com.tr
Late on July 29, the Turkish military and its Syrian proxies shelled several towns in the northern al-Hasakah countryside for unclear reasons.
The artillery strikes targeted the towns of Tell Tamr and al-Tawilah as well as villages located near the M4 highway. The strategic highway, which was reopened by Russian forces last May, links al-Hasakah with Raqqa and Aleppo.
“There has been no information on any human losses [as a result of the shelling], thus far,” the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a report.
The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies invaded northeastern Syria in October 2019. Turkish forces occupied a long strip of land between al-Hasakah and Raqqa within a few weeks. The SDF lost dozens of towns and villages, including Ras al-Ain and Tell Abyad.
Despite the presence of de-escalation agreements with both Russia and the U.S, Turkish forces stepped up their attacks in northeastern Syria this month.
On July 5, Turkish forces targeted a truck on the highway with a shell. The truck was completely destroyed and its driver was injured. On July 22, another truck was targeted and the driver was also injured.
These hostile acts could lead to a dangerous escalation in northeastern Syria. Ankara does not respect the agreement with Russia and the U.S.
