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The Turkish air and land offensive against the Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria has entered its third day.
Since the launch of the offensive against the Kurdish forces , the Syrian auxiliary militia of Turkey, supported by the Ankara Army, have been attacking in two sectors of the border: in Ras al-Ain in the province of Raqqa, to the north; and in Tall Abyad, in the northeastern province of Hassake.
The deputies of Turkey have taken a dozen villages in these two regions with a large Arab majority, reports our correspondent in the region , Paul Khalifeh . They benefited from the support of local groups. Ras al-Ain was attacked by fighters from inside Syria, which confirms reports from sources close to the Syrian regime that many Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, dominated by the Kurds.
Kurdish counter-attack
But in the night from Thursday to Friday, Kurdish fighters launched a counterattack that allowed them to recapture some of the ground lost in Ras al-Ain and Tall Abyad, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. man (OSDH) and sources of the diet.
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The response of the Syrian Kurdish forces is becoming more intense, confirms our special correspondent in Alkcakale , Oriane Verdier . About eight rocket and mortar shells targeted this city on Thursday. Three people, including a child, were reportedly killed. The information quickly circulated, she explains. New evidence for local authorities that the Kurdish forces defending the northeastern territory of Syria are terrorists, the first danger for Turkish civilians.
The fighting resulted in the exodus of 60,000 people who headed to the city of Hassake, capital of the province of the same name, piled in vans, in the middle of mattresses, gas cylinders and big bags of jute, according to journalists on the spot.
First Turkish soldier killed
According to the OSDH, the fighting killed several dozen people, including 16 civilians. The organization also announces the death of a first Turkish soldier. " Our brother-in-arms fell into a martyr on Oct. 10 in a clash against YPG terrorists in the Operation Source of Peace zone ," the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Three other Turkish soldiers were wounded while seven civilians, including a baby, were killed in shelling and rockets at towns on the Turkish side of the border.
Despite his isolation, Erdogan shows his determination
Nevertheless, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shows his determination, points our correspondent in Istanbul , Anne Andlauer . The Turkish army claims to respond blow for blow and have destroyed the targets at the origin of the shootings. That's for the military answer. On the political communication side, Ankara presents these attacks as proof that Kurdish forces are attacking civilians. This allows, in their speech, to legitimize the ongoing offensive.
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These shots also serve to justify Ankara's plan to penetrate deep into Syrian territory to create a so-called " security " zone. The head of Turkish diplomacy, Mevlüt Cavusoglu, noted that the rockets that hit the border towns had a range of 30 kilometers. That is precisely the width that Turkey claims for this security zone.
President Erdogan seems determined to continue the offensive, despite the deaths which, if they multiply, eventually risk making the offensive unpopular. Despite the lack of support on the diplomatic scene. Even Russia, if it shows understanding for the moment, is far from showing firm support. As the political scientist Soli Özel writes in the online daily T24: " The most striking thing to note is how much Turkey is alone in this operation. "