Turkey-backed Syrian rebels targeting IS stronghold of Raqqa

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militias an extension of its own outlawed Kurdish rebels, though the USA regards them as the most effective ground force in the fight against IS.

The Turkish military said a helicopter “assessed to belong to regime forces” bombed the rebels in a village near Akhtarin, a town 3 miles southeast of Dabiq, late on Tuesday.

“The introduction of the Turkish operations along the northern border, certainly have given some concern to the Syrian Democratic Forces, a large portion of which are Kurds”, he said, citing those “natural tensions” as one reason the operation in Raqqa hasn’t kept up with the one across the border in Mosul.

United Nations aid official Jan Egeland said on Thursday that the Syrian government denied access for aid in November to another Damascus suburb, the rebel-held al-Nashabiyeh.

The PKK and its Syrian offshoot the PYD are both listed as terrorist groups by Turkey although the US and European Union only view the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Another activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, gave the same death toll and said 14 children and a woman were among those killed.

Erdogan said the rebels were now advancing on the important city of Al Bab to clear Islamic State group elements. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

“There is no obstacle for the Turkish air force to join the Mosul operation”, he said and added the Shiite militia group Hashd al-Shaabi should not be included in any phase of the operation in Mosul.

In August the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of about 30,000 Kurdish and Arab fighters, captured Manbij from IS.

A Syrian field commander warned Wednesday that Syria’s army and allies will retaliate against any advances by Turkish-backed rebels toward areas under its control in Aleppo, according to the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen.

Minister Işık also said the US says it stands behind its promise to withdraw the YPG from Manbij.

The U.S. -led coalition wants to quickly isolate Raqqa for fears the group is using the city, its de facto capital in Syria, as a launchpad for attacks overseas. Rebel commanders working with the Turks told VOA that after al-Bab they want to bolster their comrades in the besieged city of Aleppo, where insurgents Friday announced they were mounting a new offensive to try to break a months-long siege by Assad’s forces, their second bid to do so. It would not be deterred by the bombing of Tal Madiq, he said.

Cavusoglu was speaking at a news conference in Ankara. “The Euphrates Shield operation will continue”.

But Operation Euphrates Shield has also targeted the YPG, which is trying to link Afrin with Manbij and Kobane to the east of the Euphrates river.