The Turkish army has put over 50,000 gunmen of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on alert to use them in the battlefields against the Syrian Army troops in Idlib province, a Turkish-language paper claimed on Monday.
Yeni Safak daily claimed that the Turkish army has kept more than 50,000 FSA terrorists on alert in Afrin, Azaz, Jarabulus, al-Bab and al-Rai regions to further sent them to battle against the Syrian government forces' operation in Idlib province.
It further said that
30,000 FSA gunmen are in regions under the occupation of the Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch forces, "and a sum
20,000 FSA fighters are to be transferred to Idlib to counter the Damascus forces' upcoming operation".
The daily went on to say that Turkish army has urged its allied militants to report the exact number of their gunmen and volume of arms and ammunition.
It said that the Turkish army has in recent days sent a number of cannons and missile launchpads to the borders with Syria and has reinvigorated its forces' combat capabilities.
The London-based pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported earlier today that Jeish al-Islam terrorist group has deployed its fighters at contact lines with the Syrian Army in Eastern Aleppo after coordination with Turkey-backed militants.
SOHR said that
Jeish al-Islam has started deploying militants in more than ten contact points with the Syrian Army in Tadif in Northeastern Aleppo after coordination with Ankara-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiyeh.
It further said that Jeish al-Islam set up a large base in the town of Afrin after retreating from Eastern Ghouta, adding Jeish al-Islam stationed its fighters in Afrin base.
SOHR said that Jeish al-Islam has also set up several bases in Aleppo province.
In the meantime, the Syrian Army dispatched more troops and equipment to the contact lines with Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) in a large region from Jam'iyat al-Zahra and al-Lairamoun industrial zone up to the small town of Kafr Hamra in Northwestern Aleppo and from al-Malah farms to the small towns of Haraytan, Hayan, Anadan and Bayanoun in Northern Aleppo.
Also, the army has forwarded a large number of forces and military hardware to contact lines with Ankara-backed terrorists known as the Olive Branch Forces in Aleppo province.
Source: Fars
Comment: As usual, Turkey is seemingly trying to straddle their two mutually conflicting alliances in the Syrian war: U.S./NATO on one side, Russia and Iran on the other. In addition to their continued support for FSA 'rebels' mentioned above, there's
this too:
Air and ground attacks on Syria's Idlib Province must stop "immediately" and a cease-fire must be established in the rebel-held area, Turkish television quoted the country's defense minister as saying.
The broadcaster NTV quoted Hulusi Akar as making the comments on September 10, after Russia and Iran rejected Turkey's call for a cease-fire in Idlib, the rebels' remaining major stronghold in Syria.
Good luck with that. Russia and Syria have every right to fight al-Qaeda in Idlib - that's even the UN mandate - and that's what they will continue to do. The world seems to have gone collectively mad for the most part, with Western media and governments flying into fits of hysterics at the thought of Syria and Russia fighting the terrorist organization officially responsible for 9/11. How dare they.
Comment: As usual, Turkey is seemingly trying to straddle their two mutually conflicting alliances in the Syrian war: U.S./NATO on one side, Russia and Iran on the other. In addition to their continued support for FSA 'rebels' mentioned above, there's this too: Good luck with that. Russia and Syria have every right to fight al-Qaeda in Idlib - that's even the UN mandate - and that's what they will continue to do. The world seems to have gone collectively mad for the most part, with Western media and governments flying into fits of hysterics at the thought of Syria and Russia fighting the terrorist organization officially responsible for 9/11. How dare they.