In northern Syria, Kurdish militia and allied rebels have again fought hard. In addition, the Turkish Air Force bombed the area. This was announced by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday.
The battles took place in the area around Tell Tamer, which is about 40 kilometers from the Syrian-Turkish border. Kurdish fighters and soldiers of the Syrian government were injured.
Outside the active combat area, a rescue vehicle of the German aid organization Cadus had been attacked during an operation. This was stated by the non-governmental organization vis-à-vis DER SPIEGEL. The medical staff and the driver were seriously injured. The rescue vehicle was no longer operational, it said. The information could not be verified by an independent body.
Erdogan and Putin want to hold on to truce
Notwithstanding the fierce fighting, the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, reiterated that they wanted to continue with a ceasefire agreed in October. This was reported by the official Turkish news agency Anadolu following a telephone conversation between the two politicians.
The Kremlin said Putin and Erdogan reiterated the importance of "coordinated steps to stabilize the situation". In addition, the sovereignty and unity of Syria would have to be guaranteed.
Turkey had launched a campaign against the Kurdish militia YPG in Syria on 9 October, which it considers a terrorist organization. A ceasefire agreed with the United States and Russia had led to a ceasefire in October.
Turkey wants to settle Syrian refugees
Turkey and Russia agreed to jointly control the border area after a withdrawal of the Kurds. Erdogan wants to settle there one to two million Syrian refugees from Turkey.
The Kurdish militias themselves had only confirmed the withdrawal from the embattled border town of Ras al-Ain. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, YPG units were still present in the contested areas.
The pro-Turkish rebels of the so-called Syrian National Army said the agreed truces had delayed an end to the military operation. The stakes should have ended faster.
Since the beginning of the offensive, Turkish troops and their allied rebels have already claimed areas with an area of about 4,800 square kilometers, according to human rights activists. That's about twice the size of the Saarland.