Syrian Army Moves Eastward From Euphrates To Deploy In Al-Hasakah Province - Source

DAMASCUS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2019) The Syrian Army moves three of its infantry brigades east of the Euphrates river to be deployed in Al-Hasakah province in the country's north, where Turkey has launched a military operation - temporarily on pause now - against terrorists and Kurdish militia, a military source from the field told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Today, on Sunday, units of the Syrian Army are headed east of the Euphrates for the deployment in Al-Hasakah province. The military units are composed of three infantry brigades," the source said.

On October 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in north Syria. The offensive is part of Ankara's goal to clear its Syria-facing border area of terrorists and Kurdish militia, which for Ankara are interchangeable, and create a safe zone where Turkey could relocate part of some 3.6 million Syrian refugees it currently hosts. The air component of the operation has begun the same day in the Ras al-Ain town of Al-Hasakah province, while the land operations have been launched shortly after.

Last Sunday, the administration of the Kurdish authority in northern Syria announced striking a deal with the Syrian government under which the latter committed to send troops to the border with Turkey to help the Kurds repel Ankara's offensive. As of today, the units of the Syrian Army have entered several settlements in the Raqqa province and in the north of Aleppo.

On Thursday, the United States and Turkey announced concluding a deal which would have Turkey suspend its military operation, dubbed Peace Spring, for 120 hours for the Kurdish forces to leave the area within an 18-mile safe zone.

On Saturday, Yasin Aktay, an adviser to the Turkish president, told Sputnik that Ankara would view the protection of Kurds by Damascus as a declaration of war.