Turkey shells Assad regime base after Syrian civilian killed in attack

Turkish forces on Sunday evening shelled a base belonging to Syrian regime forces in Hama province in response to regime attacks in rebel-held north-western Syria which left one person dead.

Journalist Saad Zaidan told The New Arab’s Arabic-language service that Turkish troops based in an observation post in Ziyadiyeh in western Hama province fired six shells at the regime’s Jorin base.

Jorin is one of the most important regime bases in the area and is frequently used to bomb rebel-held territory.

Zaidan added that the shelling was in response to regime bombing of the rebel-held Jabal al-Zawiya area of southern Idlib province and Sahl al-Ghab area of Hama province, which killed one civilian and injured two others, including a young girl.

The Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets said on Twitter that regime forces had been shelling Idlib province for two days.

For the second day, the regime forces continue their shelling attacks on northern #Syria and causing more casualties. Today one person was killed and another was injured in #Idlib countryside, while huge fires were broke out in agricultural crops in #Hama after the attacks. pic.twitter.com/q9OWemY5pX

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) June 6, 2021

Under previous “de-escalation” agreements reached with the regime’s allies Iran and Russia, Turkey maintains a number of observation posts in northwestern Syria.

Turkey has offered support to Syrian rebels ever since the Syrian conflict began in 2011 after the brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

In late 2019 and early 2020 regime forces, assisted by Russia, launched a massive assault on Idlib province, killing hundreds of people and displacing millions more and prompting a Turkish counter-attack.

Turkey and Russia signed an agreement establishing a ceasefire in Idlib in March 2020 but it is frequently violated by the regime and Russia.

Naji Mustafa, a spokesperson for the National Liberation Front (NLF) rebel group, which is close to Turkey, told The New Arab’s Arabic service that the Turkish shelling of the Assad regime base was “in response to daily violations by regime forces which had recently increased their contraventions of the de-escalation agreement”.

He added that Syrian rebels would respond to any further violations by regime forces.

Turkey has over the past two days sent reinforcements to the frontlines with regime forces in the Jabal al-Zawiyah area in response to attacks by the latter.