As rebels marched against Assad, Turkey opened new front against US-backed Kurds in Syria

Even as Syrian opposition forces pushed against President Bashar al-Assad's forces, Turkey opened another front in northern Syria over the weekend.

Turkish forces and a Turkey-sponsored militia attacked the US-backed Kurdish forces in the eastern Aleppo province, according to UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) and Kurish forces.

Even though the United States and Turkey are allies and are joined in their opposition to Assad’s regime, their interests diverge regarding Kurds, the ethnic community that controls northeastern Syria under the banner of Autonomous Administration of. North and East Syria (AANES).

While Kurds are key allies of the United States and are central to the war against the Islamic State (Isis) terrorist group in the region, Turkey is opposed to Kurds and equates their military, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the Kurdish group PKK, which it blames for an insurgency in Turkey and labels as a terrorist group.

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Turkey hits Kurds as Syria falls into chaos

Amid turmoil and uncertainty in Syria following Assad's ouster, Turkey has opened another front against the Kurds.

Turkish forces and a militia formed of mercenaries and former criminal bands that it supports, Syrian National Army (SNA), attacked the SDF in eastern Aleppo’s city of Manbij on Saturday, according to SOHR and Kurds.

The SDF told The New York Times that SNA’s ground assault was supported by Turkish warplanes and drones, killing at least 22 SDF personnel and injuring 40.

In a separate incident, the SOHR said that a Turkish suicide drone struck a Kurdish military base on Saturday.

Separately, the SNA claimed to have advanced in several parts of Manjib but the Kurdish local authorities denied that “large parts of the city” were under the control of SNA, according to VOA News.

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The SDF, however, said that the attack targeted several administrative buildings in the city.

Turkey looking to rewrite Syria’s map, says analyst

Turkey is looking forward to rewrite Syria’s map amid the chaos of Assad’s ouster to suit its interests, said Devorah Margolin, a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Turkey has a long history of attacking Kurds in Syria’s north bordering Turkey. Through direct action and sponsorship of groups like SNA, Turkey has sought to push Kurds away from the border and establish a buffer zone between Kurdish-controlled areas and Turkish territories.

Now that Syria has descended into uncertainties and everyone is distracted, it is seeking to do exactly this.

Margolin tolt The Times that Turkey and its proxy SNA “are looking to utilize the current chaos to rewrite the map in Turkey’s favor”.

Margolin further said, “They are using the distraction of Damascus to continue to grab power during this time of chaos and to undermine the SDF, ensuring its negotiating power is weakened.”