Turkish Forces Shell SDF Positions in Northeast Hasakah

Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)
Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)
TT

Turkish Forces Shell SDF Positions in Northeast Hasakah

Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)
Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)

Turkish forces shelled an SDF position in Sarmasakh village in Al-Malkiya countryside north east Hasakah, causing material damages, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

Tuesday’s shelling comes in light of the alarming calm that has prevailed for weeks in SDF-held areas in northern and eastern Syria.

On February 27, SOHR said a female shepherd was injured in her foot with a gunshot fired by the Turkish forces and their proxy in the outskirts of Al-Dardarah village in Tel Tamer countryside north-west of the province.

Meanwhile, factions of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” operation room fired heavy artillery shells on regime positions in Tela Abo Ali northern of Lattakia and the frontline of Joban village eastern of Idlib, leaving no casualties, the Observatory said.

In retaliation, regime forces fired heavy artillery shells on the vicinity of Maarat Alya eastern of Idlib, the vicinity of Al-Nairab town in eastern Idlib countryside, the vicinity of Ma’rat Al-Naasan town in north eastern Idlib countryside and the vicinity of Al-Ruwaiha town southern of Idlib. Also no casualties were reported.

On March 20, factions of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” operations room fired heavy artillery shells on positions of regime forces on the 46th Regiment frontline in the western countryside of Aleppo in “Putin-Erdogan” area.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
TT

France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.