Turkey says soldier killed in north Syria clashes

The city is located some 30 kilometers south of the Syria-Turkey border.

The attack took place in Khaliliya village east of Al Rai, northern Syria, where pro-Turkey Syrian rebels are fighting to clear the border area of extremists.

The Syrian government also recently indicated that it might be preparing to launch an offensive on al-Bab, raising the prospect of a multi-front battle over the town.

The coalition’s policy, one official summed up for Al-Monitor, is, that “no moves without coordination” in and around al-Bab.

Russian Federation is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main military backer, while Turkey backs the rebels fighting to oust him. While initially endorsing Turkey’s Euphrates Shield mission, it continues to depend heavily on the YPG, which it has armed and supported with up to 500 US Special Forces. The already complex situation in and around al-Bab is likely to get even more complicated with the Assad regime in the present mix.

Russia, however, must also deal with its ally Assad’s opposition to Turkish influence in Syria.

Of note, November 24 marked the first anniversary of the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey over the Syrian-Turkish border, prompting speculation that Moscow had engineered the affair as an act of revenge.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim held emergency phone calls with Defence Minister Fikri Isik and the Chief of General Staff General Hulusi Akar before speaking to the media.

They suspect the attack was carried out by the Syrian air force.

The battle to recapture Al Bab appears to be proving more hard and violent as Dogan news agency reported on Friday evening that five more soldiers were injured after an IS attack.

At the moment, the Turkish troops are not engaged in combat with Syrian government forces.

Elsewhere in Syria, a senior United Nations official said his team has received written approval from Syrian rebels in the besieged parts of the northern city of Aleppo to allow aid in and evacuate the wounded. Little is known about what was said, except the usual vacuous statements issued by both sides. Since Monday, clashes have continued between the SDF forces and Turkey-backed rebels west of Manbij city.

The military said it hit seven ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, positions in the Barakah, Anifah and Abu Hayj regions of northern Syria on Thursday. Turkish authorities have banned distribution of images relating to the Syria attack within Turkey. President Erdogan is a violent and ambitious politician, sometimes acting on his emotions.

Some on the ground raised questions about whether the strike was undertaken by Syrian government forces. Then, as precedence dictates, it will be necessary to respond. However their involvement has attracted global criticism as they have also engaged in fighting Kurdish factions who are backed by the US.