Turkey-backed rebels clash with Kurdish fighters in Syria

Damascus, Dec 12 (IANS) Turkey-backed rebels clashed with Kurdish fighters in Syria's Raqqa province, marking the latest escalation in the region between the two sides.The clashes erupted on Friday when Turkey-backed rebels attempted to infiltrate positions of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town of Ayn Issa in the countryside of Raqqa, Xinhua news agency quoted the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying in a report.Also, the Turkish forces shelled positions inside Ayn Issa, said the monitor group, adding that one of them landed near a Russian position in the area.A total of 7,000 people have fled their homes in Ayn Issa over the past month, fearing a Turkish military campaign.The UK-based watchdog group said the Ayn Issa town, with a population of 11,000, is controlled by the SDF and contains several bases of the Syrian army.On November 19, Turkey created a base in the countryside of Ayn Issa, further fuelling among local residents.The town has a strategic significance as it serves as a hub connecting Aleppo and Hasakah provinces through the M4 highway. It is also connected with the Tal Abyad city on the Syrian-Turkish border.The SDF took control of the town in 2015 with the help of the US-led coalition, following battles with the Islamic State (IS) militants.
--IANS ksk/