BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:20 P.M.) – The Turkish-backed militants have amassed at a Turkish border that is adjacent to the key Tal Abyad crossing into Syria’s Al-Raqqa Governorate, pro-militant media channels reported on Tuesday.
The militant group, Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah, which is part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), posted a photo of their forces near Tal Abyad on Tuesday; they are reportedly awaiting orders to storm the town and expel the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah, like many militant groups in northern Syria, are embedded with the Turkish Armed Forces in the northern countryside of the Aleppo Governorate.
While the Free Syrian Army claims to be an independent entity, they specifically take orders from the Turkish Armed Forces, who, in turn, provide them with both security and equipment.
In their upcoming operation, Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah will be squaring off against the Syrian Democratic Forces. The latter has controlled Tal Abyad since they defeated the Islamic State during a border operation in 2016.
1 - 1Share
Be Civil
This is a Civilized Place for Public Discussion
Please treat this discussion with the same respect you would a public park. We, too, are a shared community resource — a place to share skills, knowledge and interests through ongoing conversation.
These are not hard and fast rules, merely guidelines to aid the human judgment of our community and keep this a clean and well-lighted place for civilized public discourse.
Make it better
Improve the Discussion
Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
Now the hard part!
Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree
You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine. But remember to criticize ideas, not people. Please avoid:
Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.