Opposition activists say Turkey shelling Kurds in Syria

The Syrian army positions have been targeted by Turkish shelling and also the Kurdish militants in northern Aleppo province the Syrian government confirmed on Saturday, Russia today reported.

According to the Anatolia news agency, the Turkish army hit Democratic Union Party (PYD) targets around the Syrian town of Azaz.

It said the pick-up trucks were “accompanied by around 100 gunmen some of whom are believed to be Turkish forces and Turkish mercenaries”.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said that the movement of the YPG west of the Euphrates river in Syria was a “red line” for Ankara to which Turkey would never give its assent. But the fighting on the ground, which has sent tens of thousands of people fleeing toward the Turkish border where they continue to sleep in the open air, has accelerated.

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“The PYD is trying to carry out an ethnic cleansing by raiding areas where there is no or little Kurdish population and works to remove non-Kurdish ethnic elements out of these areas”, Yasin Aktay, a government MP said.

While the US considers the YPG an ally in the war on the Islamic State group, aka either ISIL or ISIS, Turkey considers it to be closely allied with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The Syrian government has condemned Turkey’s shelling of Syrian territory, describing it as an attempt to raise the morale of “terrorist” groups.

The U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to address the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in northern Syria, emphasizing the imperative for de-escalation in the area.

The operation has virtually encircled rebel-held eastern Aleppo city and raised concerns among opposition backers including Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The Observatory and the Lebanon-based A-Mayadeen TV said at least 350 Turkey-backed armed rebels crossed into Syria from Turkey Sunday to shore up rebels fighting Kurds near Tel Rifaat.

Syria has remained locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the regime of President Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity. Tasnim, a semi-official news agency, quoted a general as saying Iran would “vigorously” help the Syrian government with air defense – in an “advisory” capacity – if Assad should request it.

Both belong to the US-led coalition carrying out air strikes in Syria, and Riyadh has now deployed warplanes to the Turkish base of Incirlik, a hub already being used by American, British and French aircraft.