PHOTO: Rebel fighters on the outskirts of al-Bab, northeast of Aleppo city, on Wednesday (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

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<id=”albab”>UPDATE 1530 GMT: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a Russian airstrike that killed three of Ankara’s soldiers and wounded, amid the offensive on the ISIS-held al-Bab.

The Russians said they accidentally hit a building occupied by Turkish forces soldiers in northern Syria, killing three soldiers and wounding 11 others.

The Turkish military said both sides are investigating the incident.

RUSSIA STRIKE TURKEY AL-BAB 09-02-17

The strikes came as claims circulated of the first clashes between Free Syrian units, in the Turkish-rebel offensive, and nearby pro-Assad troops. The fighting is reportedly near the village of al-Ghuz.

Pro-opposition activists question if the Russian attacks were accidental, noting that they followed Turkish shelling of regime positions southwest of Al-Bab. Local sources say that the Turkish air force was also involved and that Iranian-led militias are among the pro-Assad forces.

UPDATE 0915 GMT: Pro-opposition activists report Free Syrian Army reinforcements moving towards al-Bab as the Turkish-rebel assault faces Islamic State resistance:

A Turkish-rebel offensive, gaining momentum after two months of difficulty, has reportedly moved into the outskirts of the Islamic State-held town of al-Bab in Aleppo Province in northwest Syria.

The Turkish government and rebel sources said on Wednesday that troops had captured positions in the southeast of al-Bab, the last major ISIS position in the province. A rebel fighter, who said he was speaking from inside al-Bab, declared Islamic State lines were collapsing: “Praise God, the progress is fast.”

The Turkish-rebel offensive, begun last August, has pushed back the Islamic State in Aleppo but has struggled since the al-Bab offensive was announced in early December. The assault has been hindered by ISIS tactics including suicide vehicle bombs and improvised explosive devices. There are also concerns about how to attack the town when an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 civilians may still be present.

“The al-Bab operation must be completed immediately in the period ahead….In recent days our special forces and the Free Syrian Army (rebels) have made serious progress,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference on Wednesday.

“Indirect Frontline” with Pro-Assad Forces

A Free Syrian Army commander in the southeastern outskirts said he could see regime forces, including planes and helicopters, to the west in an “indirect frontline” between the sides.

As the Turkish-rebel assault stalled last month, pro-Assad forces closed within 6 km (3.5 miles) of al-Bab, raising concerns about the first significant clashes between Ankara-backed operations and regime troops.

However, an “official in [the] military alliance backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad” said al-Bab will be left to Turkish control. The statement pointed to a deal with Russia, Assad’s most powerful ally, which has worked politically with Turkey since a reconciliation last summer.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, “As a result of coordination between coalition forces, the Turkish air force, and Russia, necessary measures are being taken to prevent any unpleasant incidents or clashes.”

AL-BAB MAP 08-02-17

Map: Syria Direct

Ankara said its next target will be the city of Raqqa, the central ISIS position in northern Syria.

That operation raises political and military issues about a possible confrontation with the Kurdish-led, US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF, which has advanced against the Islamic State since its creation in late 2015, has declared its own offensive on Raqqa, although it has said this will be by “Arab units” rather than the Kurdish militia YPG, the dominant group in the Forces.

Turkey is opposed to the SDF, believing the YPG and its political leadership of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) are linked to the Turkish Kurdish insurgency PKK.

A spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey had presented a detailed plan to drive Islamic State out of Raqqa and discussions on the issue were under way. CIA Director Mike Pompeo was in Ankara on Wednesday for talks with Turkish officials, following a phone call between Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will follow up with a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence today.

Public Transport Cut in Latakia Amid Fuel Shortages

Public transportation services have been sharply reduced in and the regime-held city of Latakia in western Syria because of fuel shortages.

Trains, buses, and microbuses — white vans that seat about a dozen passengers — froze operations last week because gas stations were exhausted of fuel.
After complaints from minibus drivers, government employees, and university students taking final exams, the Directorate of Transportation restored two microbus lines: one running 25 km (16 miles) between the cities of Jableh and Latakia, and one inside Latakia near the university.

The pro-regime Sham FM news outlet cited a “technical issue with fuel tankers” coming from the Homs oil refinery, but the root cause appeared to be the Islamic State’s attacks on supplies.

On January 9, Islamic State fighters damaged a gas-manufacturing plant in Homs Province, affecting fuel shipments to Latakia.

The shortages also indicate the Assad regime’s difficulty in getting supplies from outside Syria.

Idlib Death Toll Rises to 35 from Pro-Assad Strikes

Local civil defense has put the death toll at 35 from Tuesday’s pro-Assad bombing of Idlib city in northwest Syria.

Witnesses said they believed the attacks, which flattened some buildings, were by Russian warplanes — even through Russia has brokered a nominal ceasefire.

See Syria Daily, Feb 8: Dozens Killed in Pro-Assad Airstrikes