DAMASCUS, Jan 4 (NNN-SANA) – Turkish forces and allied rebels yesterday renewed shelling on a Kurdish-controlled town in northern Syria, in a bid to advance in that strategic area, a war monitor reported.
The shelling targeted the town of Ayn Issa in the northern province of Raqqa, as the Turkey-backed rebels attempted to advance on the western outskirts of the area said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Turkey-backed rebels fought intense battles with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), amid heavy Turkish shelling in Ayn Issa, north of Raqqa.
The battles have been escalating as part of the Turkish bid to strip the SDF of Ayn Issa.
Last month, the Observatory said 7,000 people fled their homes in the town, fearing military showdown.
On Nov 19, Turkey created a base in the countryside of Ayn Issa, further fuelling fears of the local residents.
The town has a strategic significance, as it serves as a hub connecting Aleppo and Hasakah provinces, through the M4 highway. It’s also connected with the Tal Abyad city on the Syrian-Turkish border.
The SDF controlled the town in 2015, with the help of the U.S.-led coalition, following battles with the Daesh militants.
