Fierce fighting broke out between the powerful YPG militia and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Wednesday when the Kurdish militants tried to move into al-Bab town near the Turkish border, Anadolu Agency reported.
The fighting occurred in the evening as the 'Kurdish People's Protection Units' attacked Diqlabas, a village west of al-Bab controlled by the Free Syria Army, with heavy weapons. The FSA pushed back the attacks.
Al-Bab was largely cleared of terrorist elements in 2016 as part of the Turkish military’s Operation Euphrates Shield, carried out with the Free Syrian Army.
Simultaneously, the YPG attacked the FSA from Kafer Karshin, an area south of the northwestern city of Azaz, but its attacks were repelled.
The Free Syria Army on Wednesday night also pushed back YPG attacks in the village of Qimar south of Afrin.
Since 2016, Turkey has carried out two major military operations in northwestern Syria -- Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch -- with the aim of purging the region of Kurdish militias.
Eight years of war in Syria have killed 560,000 people and driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6 million as refugees to neighbouring countries.
Zaman Al Wasl, AA
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