Turkey Tanks Roll into Syria as Ankara-Backed Rebels Seize IS-Held Border Town
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Turkish tanks and hundreds of opposition fighters thrust deep inside Syrian territory Wednesday in a lightning operation that within hours ousted Islamic State jihadists from a key Syrian border town.
The air and ground offensive -- the most ambitious launched by Ankara in the Syria conflict -- made rapid progress towards Jarabulus with rebel fighters already proclaiming victory by the late afternoon just 14 hours after it started.
"Jarabulus is completely liberated," Ahmad Othman, commander of the Sultan Mourad rebel group, told AFP from the scene, while another rebel spokesman said IS fighters had fled towards al-Bab to the southwest.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the operation was also targeting Kurdish militia fighters strongly opposed by Ankara -- but backed by the U.S. as a key ally against IS -- who had also been closing in on Jarabulus.
But visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reassured Turkey that Washington had told the Kurdish fighters under no circumstances to cross west of the Euphrates River or face the total loss of American support.
The operation -- named "Euphrates Shield" -- began at around 4:00 am (0100 GMT) with Turkish artillery pounding dozens of IS targets around Jarabulus.
Turkish F-16 fighter jets, backed by U.S.-led coalition war planes, also hit targets inside Syria.
A dozen Turkish tanks then rolled into Syria in support of Syrian opposition fighters who had also crossed, with 1,500 of them now in the area according to state media.
- 'Don't cross the river' -
The rapidity of the advance was stunning and in complete contrast to the long-grinding battles where Kurdish forces had taken towns in northern Syria like Kobane and Manbij from IS.
As well as tanks, an AFP photographer in the area of Karkamis opposite Jarabulus saw several smaller military vehicles believed to be carrying the pro-Ankara Syrian rebels.
Security sources quoted by Turkish television said a small contingent of special forces had traveled into Syria to secure the area before the larger ground operation.
The effects of one air raid on the northern outskirts of Jarabulus were easily visible, sending up a cloud of black smoke and sand.
Turkey wants to show it is serious about taking on IS, which has been blamed for a string of attacks inside the country -- the latest a weekend attack on a Kurdish wedding in Gaziantep that left 54 people dead, many of them children.
Ankara was long accused of turning a blind eye to the rise of IS in Syria and even aiding its movements to-and-fro across the border, claims the government had always vehemently denied.
Turkey has long been alarmed about the activities inside Syria of the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Washington sees as an ally but Ankara regards as a terror group.
But Biden on Wednesday said Washington had made clear to pro-Kurdish forces in Syria that they must not cross west of the Euphrates River.
"They cannot, will not and under no circumstances (will) get American support if they do not keep that commitment. Period," he said.
Saleh Moslem, head of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the YPG's political wing, tweeted that Turkey was now in the "Syrian quagmire" and would be "defeated" like IS.
But a senior U.S. administration official said Washington had already been "syncing up" with Turkey for the operation and U.S. advisers had been in a planning cell.
- 'Enough is enough' -
Erdogan said the operation was aimed against both IS and PYD -- "terror groups that continuously threaten our country in northern Syria."
"We have said 'enough is enough'... This now needs to be resolved," he said.
The Turkish air strikes were the first since a November crisis with Russia sparked when the Turkish air force downed one of Moscow's warplanes.
A dozen IS targets were destroyed in Wednesday's air strikes. Turkish artillery meanwhile destroyed 70 IS targets, according to Turkish television.
The movements have come at a critical juncture for Turkey in Syria's five-and-a-half-year war, with signs growing it is on the verge of a landmark policy shift.
Ankara has always called for the removal of President Bashar Assad, putting Turkey at odds with his main supporters Iran and Russia.
However Prime Minister Binali Yildirim acknowledged at the weekend for the first time that Assad was one of the "actors" in Syria and may need to stay on as part of a transition.
But in a note of discord, Russia said it was "deeply concerned" at the situation on the border warning of a "further degeneration of the situation."
Assad's government -- which has long has little sway in this region -- condemned the incursion as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty.
24 August 2016, 16:14
95
it does make sense...
Turkey wants to move them from one place to another, we suggest either killing them or to take them.. unless this bother your since they are somehow your cousins, explain.
btw, justin your case is worsening!
25 August 2016, 09:49
63
not a shot was fired during the whole "operation", ISIS handed over Syrian land to their turkish bosses, plain and simple
25 August 2016, 11:16
46
did you hear and see for yourself that not a shot was fired or are you relying on the "islamic resistance' word"?
25 August 2016, 11:26
73
jarablus was taken by turkish troops in less time than it takes to simply stroll into it, they faced no resistance from daeshits who had evacuated before they arrived.
25 August 2016, 11:30
73
the true aim of the operation is to prevent kurds from advancing west and closing the border along tueky, preventing turkey-backed terrorists infiltrations and cutting their supply roads.
25 August 2016, 11:44
46
back to" not a shot was fired".... answer the question without giving us your useless political analysis.
25 August 2016, 12:08
63
you dont like my analyses barry? how sad!
ps: expect them to keep coming though, somehow the more you a disturbed the more i feel like posting :)
24 August 2016, 15:58
68
وئام وهاب: ان دخلت تركيا متر في سورية سيضرب بشار الاسد 100 الف صاروخ..
القوات التركية دخلت سوريا اليوم ووهاب نائم
24 August 2016, 18:41
46
30 minutes ago Russia's foreign ministry said Moscow is "deeply concerned" over Turkey's military operation in Syria.
hehehe!
24 August 2016, 19:23
64
strange you don't mention the Israelis and their expansion on Arab lands... each day you prove that you're more sahyounie than netanyahu.
24 August 2016, 19:31
43
Stop hidding behind palestinian cause, it is vecoming pathetic..
Ur hezbollah's iranian masters created al jihad al islami (the palestenian version of our islamic resistance aka hezbollah) for their own interests, ur ally or better his daddy created fateh intifada to split arafat fatah and fplp general comand to split fplp..
Iran and syria both used the palestinian cause to achieve their own interest and not in the purpuse of helping palestinian cause..
Really pathetic...
24 August 2016, 19:41
54
1979!
but still you didn't mention the reason that your boyfriend @terrorrist didn't mention about the Israeli expansion on arab lands... cowards.
24 August 2016, 19:46
64
very strange the 3 of you, defending Arab people main enemy Israel while advocating for arab nationalism, sahayinah.
24 August 2016, 19:47
64
here you have it, idiot!
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=772585
24 August 2016, 19:50
54
texas, here you have more ya Sahyounie coward
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-3014-800-new-settlement-homes-in-Jerusalem#.V73P1SiLSUk
24 August 2016, 19:52
45
Are u a complete idiot southern or just playing foolish??
So in what creating iranian islamic jihad (the palestinian version of our islamic resistance aka hezbolah) and bashar's daddy created fateh intifada to split arafat fatah and fplp general comand to split fplp helped..
There is tone of other exemple but these ones are not a secret to anyone so please explain?...
U are using the palestenian cause and turning the struggle of an entire people just to the interest of iranian islamic senile khomeini and bashar happy familky regime in syria
So go wear ur gevara tshirt comrad and flajelate urself while chanting some lebayka ya nosrollah...
Pathetic...
24 August 2016, 19:54
54
@texas the mad.
but HA went to war against Israel and you always say that the resistance is an Irani one, how come!.
24 August 2016, 20:00
55
Well that would be nice for a change; not a zionist imperialist takfiri saudi...? :)
U still didnot answer my question comrad southern...
24 August 2016, 20:05
45
No tex it was to liberate kountar.. U know the guy hezbos never talked about 10 years before 2006 because he was keffer, but suddenly...
Maybe ghajar and chebaa farms where nit enough of an excuse anymore
Anyway lawou kountou a3lam... :)
24 August 2016, 20:07
74
@texas:
no i don't but this according to you , you contradict yourself by saying that Iran never engaged in war with Israel while you claim that HA is Irani.... HA went to war because Israel was the aggressor, they planned for war along with Rice and Saniora, HA anticipated it.
24 August 2016, 20:17
64
texas, all Palestine is an occupied land as country, but what the Israelis are doing is appropriating illegally which never can be claimed again and this is the real expansion.
24 August 2016, 20:19
45
كشف القيادي في الحرس الثوري وأحد قادة “فيلق القدس” في سوريا، محمد علي فلكي، عن تشكيل “جيش التحرير الشيعي”، بقيادة قائد “فيلق القدس”، قاسم سليماني، وذلك للعمل في ثلاث جبهات هي سوريا والعراق واليمن، ويكون تحت إمرة الولي الفقيه.
24 August 2016, 20:27
43
Again southern;
So in what creating iranian islamic jihad (the palestinian version of our islamic resistance aka hezbolah) and bashar's daddy created fateh intifada to split arafat fatah and fplp general comand to split fplp helped..
There is tone of other exemple but these ones are not a secret to anyone so please explain?...
24 August 2016, 20:31
43
And marcus this is all a zionist takfiri imperialist ksa propaganda..
Exporting the islamic revolution??? Iran would never think of doing that...
Zionist takfiri imperialist saudi....
24 August 2016, 18:54
65
@half yankee and half Saudi texas
let's see if you have a mind or at least you can think by your own!
all interventions without the Syrian govt approval is a violation of the country sovereignty.. lets suppose that Mexico send troops to the land of the warmonger to chase traffickers, what's your take would be on that?
24 August 2016, 19:26
55
btw: Assad will be victorious with or without the ottoman intervention.
24 August 2016, 22:27
36
Turkish Special Forces were talking to the same ISIS that just blew up 100 people at a Turkish wedding?
25 August 2016, 03:40
35
@texas
You got your facts wrong. The bombing of the event on the Turkish-Syrian border last year was carried out by ISIS, who incidentally took responsibility for the attack. It targeted mainly Kurdish people gathered to protest and in support of I believe Kobane. The Kurds retaliated by bombing the Turkish army and killed more than 30 of them in one single attack.
The Kurds are no better than any other ethnic militia. They have been destroying Arab homes and villages in their quest to establish their own dream state. Do some research and you will find plenty....
SYRIA: US ALLY’S RAZING OF VILLAGES AMOUNTS TO WAR CRIMES
https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2015/10/syria-us-allys-razing-of-villages-amounts-to-war-crimes/
25 August 2016, 03:40
35
.... continued
Syrian Kurds accused of ethnic cleansing and killing opponents
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/18/syrian-kurds-accused-of-ethnic-cleansing-and-killing-opponents/
As to passion, you should feel none for these terrorists who are not different than ISIS, Hezbollah, and the Iranian mercenaries.
25 August 2016, 05:41
35
"Two days after the bombing in Suruç two police officers were found dead in the same building in the district of Ceylanpınar, which is also in Şanlıurfa Province.[67] At least one of the officers was identified as working for an anti-terrorism task force. The PKK claimed responsibility for the attack, as a revenge act for the events in Suruç.[68]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Suruç_bombing
