Infighting continues among Turkish-backed groups in Serekaniye
The SOHR report said the Shuhadaa al-Badr and Shahadaa al-Hasakah groups fought each other in the Al-Mokhtala village in Serekaniye.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Infighting erupted between two Turkish-backed armed groups in Syria’s northeast town of Serekaniye (Ras Al-Ain) on the border with Turkey, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor reported on Saturday.
The SOHR report said the Shuhadaa al-Badr and Shuhadaa al-Hasakah groups fought each other in Serekaniye’s Al-Mokhtala village, using heavy machine guns and even rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
According to SOHR, the fight resulted from a dispute over the smuggling of goods at checkpoints.
It’s not the first incident between Turkish-backed groups in Serekaniye.
On Apr. 7, fighting erupted between the Al-Malek Shah and Al-Hamza Divisions near Serekaniye.
Infighting also erupted between the Turkish-backed Faylaq al-Sham and Hamza Division in Syria’s Kurdish region of Afrin in the past week, the New Arab reported on Friday.
During the clashes, an elderly man and a woman were injured.
Read More: Turkish-backed fighter in Afrin killed amidst increasing tensions between rebel factions: SOHR
Turkish-backed armed groups have been accused of large-scale human rights abuses in areas they control.
Turkish-controlled areas have also been plagued by regular attacks on groups aligned with Turkey and indiscriminate bombings that have killed civilians. Infighting between Turkish-backed groups also causes civilian casualties.