For the first time in the current ceasefire, Russian forces reportedly intervened today to prevent fighting between two parties of the deal, the Syrian military and a group of rebels backed by the Turkish military. The incident took place just southwest of the Aleppo Province town of al-Bab.
The rebels are blaming the Syrian military for the fighting, saying that they fired first and that they simply retaliated, with Russian forces quickly getting in the middle of the situation and calming everyone down. The rebels claimed to have captured a military vehicle.
Turkey has been trying to get al-Bab under control for awhile, with a lot of rebels helping them. The Syrian military had been driving al-Qaeda forces out of the area around Aleppo city, putting them into close proximity as well, fueling fears that close proximity could bring them into direct conflict.
With Russia working closely with both the Syrian and Turkish militaries, they were in a good position to step in in this case and split them apart when the fighting erupted. Keeping the two sides apart may be a long-term problem, with al-Bab still a goal of both sides.
Turkish-backed rebels now also backed by russia. Ok, good, i’m for now backing up all that also!
Let’s hope that the Russians are not backing the Trurks very much, or does this mean Trump & crew have turned the Russians to change allegiances over to back the Turks in their efforts to return Ottoman hegemony on Syrian lands… A sure bet for endless conflict…
I’m going to Newsbud.com to get their always knowledgeable take on things Turkic.
Separating them is not backing them both. Russia can back one side while separating them.
Turkey is using rebels to do its policy, with only very little involvement of Turkish troops. That is after all a standard American method in many places, and the Russian method in Ukraine. It is hardly new.
However, in all such places, we ought not to be fooled that the rebels are anything other than a poorly controlled proxy force. They are semi out of control, but have little independent ability to exist, supply themselves, fight on without that backing.
The exact information is as follows. Syria and Turkey have a deal. Russian information is that Turkey will take Al -Bab. Syrian Army was assisting by boxing ISIS into limited area — to cut off their ability to spill into coutryside. Syrian Army after the incident with FSA moved to cut off the road to Raqqa, so that Al-Bab will be cut off from supplies — but also endanger their retreat. ISIS has a decision to make.
Speculations should be over by now. Russian and Turkish airforce conducted a joint bombing run on ISIS at Al -Bab. This was the first joint operation with 7 Turkish and 6 Russian.
Turkey collected FSA being fully aware of the problem. Turkey will need to restructure FSA leadership to insure that commands are followed. In reality, there was no way for Turkey to streamline FSA leadership until something messy happened.
It is logical that Turkey, not Syrian Army will go to Raqqa. US will find a formula of coordination with Kurds.
With Russian framework for constitution being worked on at the same time — it appears that some offer is made to Kurds, and that Turkey is on board with that. It does not look at this time that Trump administration is interested in upsetting the apple cart in Syria.
Russia unlike America dessclating this conflict and all America has been doing from the start to destroy Syria for the Zionist to control the middle east time tto pull your yankee stakes and humble arabs think you are poison to them