The Syrian Army sends military reinforcements to the northern countryside of Raqqa near the contact lines with the opposition factions and the Turkish army

The Syrian Army sent military reinforcements to al Raqqa governorate on Thursday, to deploy near the lines of contact with the opposition factions and the Turkish army.

Local sources in al Tabqa area in the western countryside of Raqqa told the German news agency (dpa) that “a convoy of the Syrian government forces, consisting of dozens of military vehicles and a number of buses, entered the al Tabqa crossing and headed to the areas of the countryside of al Raqqa, which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces”.

The Syrian Army are deployed in the 93rd Brigade in the Ain Issa area in the northern countryside of Raqqa and several points on the international road to Aleppo-Qamishli in the contact lines with the opposition factions.

The Syrian government forces redeployed in the areas of the northern countryside of Raqqa about two years ago, after the advance of the opposition factions backed by the Turkish army and their control over the Tal Abyad area in the northern countryside of Raqqa.

A military commander in the Syrian National Army told DB that all the areas “under the control of the Syria Democratic Forces are occupied areas and we will work to liberate them, and our forces are ready to start a military operation in the northern countryside of Raqqa”.

Since the middle of last month, the Syrian opposition factions have sent large military reinforcements to the northern countryside of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasakeh to start a military operation in cooperation with the Turkish army against the Syria Democratic Forces.

For their part, Syrian opponents say they are preparing to join a new attack that Turkey threatens to launch against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, while Ankara is looking forward to a new campaign against the group, which it sees as a threat to its national security.

Turkey has launched three attacks inside Syria since 2016 against the YPG, which Ankara views as an enemy because of its close ties to a Kurdish rebel group that has been fighting in Turkey for decades.

Tensions have risen since two Turkish policemen were killed a month ago in a missile attack in northern Syria that Turkey says was launched by the YPG.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack was “the straw that broke the camel’s back”, although Ankara showed no sign of an imminent operation.

Syrian opposition sources say that Turkey has sent military supplies to its allies in Syria as part of preparations for a possible operation, and opposition fighters have been redeployed towards the areas that are expected to be targeted in any new attack.

Major Youssef Hammoud, a military spokesman for the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, said, “The transition to a state of full readiness requires only a very short period before announcing any military operation”.

Previous Turkish incursions were preceded by long mobilization operations and large movements of Turkish forces on the border, which have not yet been detected this time.

Ankara didn’t commit itself to taking action, and gave few details of its plans if a decision had already been made.

Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying after his meeting with US President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “When the time comes to carry out an operation, of course the operation will be carried out.

There is no retreat from that”.

A senior Turkish security official said preparations were underway”.

The process will start when all the preparations are completed,” he added.

Turkey’s efforts to crush the YPG have been complicated by the group’s links to Russia and the United States, both of which worked with the YPG and another faction it leads, the Syria Democratic Forces, during the Syrian war.

“We’re coordinating the matter with Russia,” the Turkish security official said.

We’ve already taken it up with the United States”.

Sources from the Syria Democratic Forces say that Turkey has intensified its attacks using drones and artillery fire from Turkish territory, targeting YPG positions in the past two weeks.

Opposition sources said that any military action would focus on a corridor controlled by Kurdish forces between the towns of Tal Abyad and Jarablus, along with areas controlled by Turkey and its allies from previous military campaigns.

“We’ve completed the necessary military preparations for the upcoming military operation”, said Mustafa Sejari, a senior official in the Syrian Liberation Front, which is involved in the military preparations.

“All PKK-controlled areas are a target for us in the next stage”.