Battles Rage Near Afrin as YPG Tries to Repel Turkish Advances

Kurdish fighters engaged in fierce clashes with Turkish troops near a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria on Thursday in an attempt to beat back advances by Ankara-backed forces, the Associated Press reported.

Citing the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the AP said that the Kurdish YPG militia was locked in “crushing” battles with Turkish troops and allied rebels in Bulbul, an area north of Afrin.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency, however, claimed that Turkish troops had captured the area and cleared it of YPG militants.

Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch,” targeting the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin, nearly two weeks ago. At least 67 civilians have been killed since the start of the campaign, according to the SOHR.

The monitoring group said that in 13 days of fighting, Turkish soldiers and allied rebels have won control of just 3 percent of Afrin, which has around 350 villages, the AP reported.

Kurdish forces in Afrin have responded to Turkish advances by launching rockets from northern Syria into southern Turkey. Citing Turkish officials, the AP said that a rocket launched from Syria hit a restaurant in the Turkish town of Kilis, near the border, on Thursday, injuring five people.

At least four people in Turkey have been killed by cross-border rocket fire since the start of Ankara’s latest offensive.

At Least 20 Killed in Northern Syria Airstrikes as Government Approaches Key Town

Aerial bombardment of rebel positions in northern Syria killed at least 20 people on Thursday, as government forces approached a strategic opposition-held town in Idlib, Agence France-Presse reported.

Citing the SOHR, AFP said at least 15 people were killed in airstrikes on two villages in Aleppo, while another five people were killed in attacks on the town of Saraqib in Idlib.

The attacks coincided with a push by Syrian troops and allied forces toward Saraqib. Pro-government forces on Thursday reached within 9 miles (15km) of the town, which is an important military center for the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance.

Saraqib is also located west of the highway that links Aleppo with the capital Damascus. Its capture would help the Syrian government secure routes in and around Aleppo city.

Meanwhile, at least three children were reportedly killed in government artillery strikes on the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus on Thursday, AFP said. Retaliatory shelling of government-held parts of the capital purportedly killed another seven civilians, AFP said, citing Syrian state media.

U.S. Considering Military Action in Syria to Deter Chemical Attacks: Officials

President Donald Trump is willing to consider military action in Syria to stop chemical weapons attacks, senior U.S. officials said on Thursday, according to Reuters.

“We reserve the right to use military force to prevent or deter the use of chemical weapons,” one official said on the condition of anonymity, according to Reuters.

Another official said, however, that the Trump administration hopes that bolstered international efforts will help deter chemical attacks.

The unidentified officials also claimed that Syrian government forces have “evolved” their chemical weapons and continue to make occasional use of them in smaller amounts since a major chemical weapons attack targeted the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province last April, Reuters said.

“Characteristics of some of those recent attacks suggest that Syria may be developing new weapons and methods for delivering poison chemicals, possibly to make it harder to trace their origin,” Reuters said, citing the unidentified U.S. official.

The statements come in the wake of a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held suburb of Douma on Thursday, according to AFP. The unconfirmed attack reportedly injured three people, who suffered respiratory problems after a rocket attack, AFP reported, citing the SOHR.

Recommended Reads:

• The Associated Press: Still a Trickle, but Refugees Sick of Exile Return to Syria
• BBC: Syria War: Why Turkey’s Battle for Northern Syria Matters
• Council on Foreign Relations: In Push to End Syrian War, Where Are the Women?
• The Associated Press: Syria’s Kurds Push U.S. to Stop Turkish Assault on Key Enclave
• Newsweek: Tillerson’s Unreal Syria Policy Is All Wishful Thinking