MESOP NEWS UPDATE SYRIA : 1st Clashes Between Regime & Turkish-Rebel Forces Pro-Assad forces and Turkish-rebel offensive clash in northwest Syria, northeast of Aleppo city

February 27 – By Scott Lucas – eaworldview – Pro-Assad forces and Turkish-rebel offensive clash in northwest Syria, northeast of Aleppo city –  Clashes between Assad regime and Turkish-rebel forces began in northwest Syria on Sunday, as both sides faced each other after victories against the Islamic State.The Syrian army said it captured the town of Tadef, just south of the city of al-Bab in Aleppo Province, after an ISIS withdrawal yesterday.

The Turkish-rebel “Euphrates Shield” offensive — which began last August with Turkey’s intervention with airstrikes, armored vehicles, and ground forces — occupied al-Bab, ISIS’s last major position in the province, last week. A pro-opposition activist reported that fighting already began on Sunday,

The Euphrates Shield operations room later said 22 pro-Assad forces had been killed

A Russian official had said earlier this month that Tadef, northeast of Aleppo city, was the agreed dividing line between the Assad regime and Turkish-rebel territory. Russia and Turkey agreed last summer to a de facto partition, in which Ankara would accept the pro-Assad re-occupation of all of Aleppo city and Moscow would accede to the Turkish-rebel drive against ISIS through Aleppo Province.

The Assad regime is not only trying to draw a line against a further southwards move by the Turkish-rebel offensive but also to regain control of water supplies for Aleppo city. www.mesop.de