Turkey captures strategic town in Syria's Afrin region
March 8, 2018
Marking a major setback for Kurdish forces, Turkey has gained control of one of Afrin's largest settlements. Human rights groups have urged parties to stop indiscriminate attacks, warning of "numerous civilian deaths."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
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Turkey on Thursday captured the strategic town of Jinderes in the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria, marking a major setback for Kurdish forces in the area.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of on-the-ground sources, said the town fell to Turkish forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters "after heavy and sustained bombardment by Turkish aviation."
According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) had been driven out of the town following intense clashes, which caused extensive damage to infrastructure. Jinderes is considered one of the largest settlements in the region.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkish forces will target the region's largest city, which also bears the name Afrin, after taking control of Jinderes.
Syrian Arab militias allied with Kurdish forces said on Tuesday that they will redeploy roughly 1,700 fighters from active battlefronts against IS to Afrin in order to repel the Turkish offensive.
Speaking at a press conference in Vienna, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his government expects the operation to end by May so that Afrin can "quickly embrace stability and civilians can return."
"The fighting in Afrin between Turkish and US-backed Kurdish forces has already caused numerous civilian deaths and is putting the lives of hundreds more at risk," said Lynn Maalouf, who heads Amnesty's Middle East research division.
"Reports of shelling of villages and residential areas in cities are deeply troubling," she said. "The use of artillery and other imprecise explosive weapons in civilian areas is prohibited by international humanitarian law and all parties should cease such attacks immediately."
Turkey's offensive has left at least 93 civilians dead and injured more than 300 others, including dozens of children, according to independent monitors.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
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War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
