In the torn lands of Syria, a territory once ruled by the Bashar al-Assad regime, the power vacuum is loosening, attracting multiple actors seeking to assert their influence in the chaotic country. While Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) appears to be taking the de facto lead, Syria remains an arena of conflict, with neighboring countries seeking to advance their interests and groups with competing interests clashing. Some appear to be seeking to exploit this potential power vacuum to extend their control or eliminate adversaries.
Turkey, for example, is seeking to eliminate armed Kurdish militias in northeast Syria. Israel has struck the remnants of the Syrian Arab Army’s capabilities and expanded its territorial control, while the United States has stepped up its strikes against the Islamic State (ISIS) and moved warships into the region.
Turkey’s interests in the northeast
Turkey has long had interests in Syria. Before Assad’s fall, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had repeatedly promised an imminent ground operation in northern Syria aimed at eliminating fighters allied with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group designated as terrorist by Turkey and the United States, and creating a safe zone for the return of refugees.
After the rebel offensive began nearly two weeks ago, clashes broke out between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and Kurdish militias in the northeast.
The Turkish government has long considered Syrian Kurdish groups to be linked to the PKK. However, Kurdish forces have been key partners of the United States in the fight against ISIS and control large swathes of land in northeast Syria.
After Assad was successfully ousted by HTS-led groups, open fighting between the Turkish-backed SNA and Kurdish forces intensified in recent weeks.
Fears of a Turkish incursion
There are also fears of a Turkish incursion. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying that Turkey and its militia allies are building up their forces near Kobani, a Kurdish-majority city in Syria, amid fears of an imminent cross-border operation.
Israeli bombing
The same day that rebels took control of the Syrian capital, Israel began striking military installations belonging to the Assad regime. In the days that followed, Israel intensified its bombardment, hitting nearly 500 targets, destroying the navy and eliminating, according to the Israeli military, 90 percent of Syria’s known surface-to-air missiles.
Israeli officials said the strikes on Syrian military installations were aimed at preventing them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”.
The Israeli government has welcomed the fall of Assad, a staunch ally of Iran who allowed his country to be used as a resupply route for Hezbollah in Lebanon. But Israel also fears what might come of radical Islamists ruling Syria, which borders Israel on the occupied Golan Heights.
Its military has also continued its advance on the ground, capturing more territory in Syria. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) now occupy Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest peak, a strategic position overlooking Lebanon, Syria and Israel. The summit of Mount Hermon lies in a buffer zone that, until Assad’s fall, had separated Israeli and Syrian forces for 50 years.
The IDF has continued its advance beyond the peak, to Beqaasem, about 25 kilometers from the Syrian capital, according to Voice of the Capital, a Syrian activist group. CNN could not independently confirm the claim.
Syrian rebel leader Mohammad al-Jolani accused Israel of crossing “the lines of engagement” with its actions in Syria, while a group of the country’s neighbors called on Israel to withdraw its forces from all Syrian territory.
US fears ISIS resurgence
The United States has maintained a presence in Syria for years, partnering with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces for anti-ISIS operations in the country. There are some 900 American troops stationed there, mostly in the northeast.
US bases have come under increasing attack over the past year by Iranian-backed armed groups that are pro-Hamas in Gaza, which have targeted US assets in Syria and Iraq to protest US support for Israel. The US has responded with airstrikes.
Following Assad’s fall, the United States has been adamant that its mission against ISIS will continue. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has continued to strike positions in Syria that it says are known ISIS camps and…