The pressure is mounting on the Turkish regime to help their Islamist rebel allies in Syria, as they lose ground to both the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the predominately Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG) in the Aleppo Governorate’s northern countryside.

According to reports from government sources, up to 500 Islamist rebels from Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) and Faylaq Al-Sham (Al-Sham Corps) were allowed passage through the Bab Al-Hawa border-crossing into Turkey in order to travel to the Bab Al-Salamiyah crossing into the rebel-held city of ‘Azaz.

These reinforcements are likely to help Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, Jabhat Al-Shamiyah, and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) at the strategic village of Tal Rifa’at in northern Aleppo, where they are currently under attack by the YPG and their allies from Jaysh Al-Thuwwar of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The decision to send the reinforcements to the Kurdish front is likely due to the proximity of the YPG and SDF fighters to the Bab Al-Salamiyah border-crossing and the rebel stronghold of ‘Azaz.

As of now, the YPG is on the fringes of Tal Rifa’at; however, they are expected to enter this strategic village in the coming hours, despite Turkish efforts to forestall this advance.