The Syrian army has gathered roughly 170 tanks near the Turkish border, Syrian rebels said Friday. Rebels told international media that forces are gathering north of Aleppo.
“The tanks are now at the Infantry School. They’re either preparing to move to the border to counter the Turkish deployment or attack the rebellious (Syrian) towns and villages in and around the border zone north of Aleppo,” General Mustafa al-Sheikh told Reuters.
Al-Sheikh is head of the Higher Military Council, a group of senior officers who defected from the Syrian army.
On Tuesday, Turkish media reported that Turkey had deployed a large number of military vehicles to its border with Syria. The move followed Syria’s shooting of a Turkish jet in international airspace last week.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan said Turkey is not seeking to fight Syria, but “will not stay silent” in light of the attack.