Assad regime renews attacks on northern Syria, prepares for 'possible' Turkish intervention

The Syrian regime has renewed artillery and missile shelling on various areas in Syria’s northwest, as it prepared for a Turkish operation in the country

Regime forces attacked the Jabal Al-Zawiya area in the northwestern province of Idlib, as well as areas in the western countryside of Aleppo province, activist Mustafa al-Mohammed told The New Arab’s Arabic language service Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The bombing – which resulted in the injury of at least one person – occurred amid Turkish threats to launch a military operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the north of the country.

The regime is fortifying its positions in SDF-held areas as its military prepares for “any possible aggression” by Turkey, according to a regime army statement carried by the state news agency SANA.

The Syrian regime army conducted night parachute jump training alongside Russian forces, in which they “affirmed their readiness to carry out their duties and any mission that could be assigned to them at any time and place”, the statement said.

In northeastern Syria, violent explosions were heard in the vicinity of the Al-Shaddadi base of the international anti-IS coalition in the south of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, sources close to the SDF told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The SDF previously conducted exercises with coalition troops at the base.

However, it wasn’t clear if there had been an attack on the base or if the noise came as part of a training process, the sources said.

Turkey has for months threatened to launch a large-scale operation in northern Syria with the aim of clearing the area of "terrorists".

Idlib and parts of Aleppo province are the last area of Syria to be controlled by anti-Assad rebels, while Turkish-backed Syrian fighters control areas of Syria along the Turkish border.

Russian officials have called on the regime and Syrian Kurdish officials to work together to fight against Turkish-backed forces in recent weeks.

The SDF has indicated it could do this if Turkey follows through on its threats.