On Saturday, clashes broke out again in the vicinity of Darat Azza west of Afrin between the YPG and and Islamist opposition forces including the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahrar al-Sham.
According to Kurdish sources, Turkish artillery units deployed in Azaz shelled the villages of Qatma and Vilat al-Qadi in eastern Afrin. YPG responded with shelling positions of the Islamic forces in Darat Azza town and its vicinity.
According to Kurdish sources, FSA forces in Azaz arrested dozens of civilians who were on their way to Afrin in the coming days.
YPG has also detained civilians from the Euphrates Shield-held areas and the Idlib countryside. The Turkish-Kurdish tensions seem to be turning into an open battle in the northern Aleppo countryside.
There have been unconfirmed reports of continued Turkish military reinforcements reaching the Euphrates Shield-held areas in the northern Aleppo countryside and to positions of the Turkish Army at the Syrian-Turkish border.
While opposition sources claim that the Turkey aims to attack Afrin inorder to open the Azaz-Idlib road, other sources argue that the Turkish Army may be planning to enter Idlib also at the same time.
