Turkish Army on Alert at Border with Syria near US Forces' Centers in Hasaka

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Turkish Army has put al large number of forces on alert at border with Syria's Hasaka province which is home to the US forces' bases, local sources reported on Wednesday.

News ID: 68253

Date: 24 January 2018 - 14:00

The sources said that the Turkish army has deployed its forces and military equipment at the Turkish side of Ra'as al-Ein border-crossing in Northern Hasaka amid Ankara-led Olive Branch Operation against Kurds in Afrin region.

The sources said that the Turkish Armed Forces have targeted several times Hasaka province and the town of Qamishli while gathering fresh forces in Ra'as al-Ein.

The sources further pointed to the presence of a large number of the US forces in the region, adding that it is not so clear that whether the Turkish army has a plan to launch ground attack on Ra'as al-Ein.

A senior Syrian parliamentarian warned on Tuesday that Turkey's military attacks against Afrin and Northern Syria were aimed at reoccupation of Aleppo with the US support.

"The Turkish officials had earlier revealed the country's goal in attacking Afrin which is actually occupation," Fares al-Shahabi said.

"Turkey's invasion of Northern Syria is meant to end up in reoccupation of Aleppo," he added.

Al-Shahabi said that the US which is aware of Turkey's intentions in the region doesn’t want to darken relations with the country as it prefers Ankara to the Kurdish forces and will throw the Kurds away after attaining its goals.

Turkey’s Operation ‘Olive Branch’ kicked off on Saturday from air and ground around the area of Afrin in Syria's Aleppo to oust the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).