ALEPPO, (AA): Syria’s multi-front civil war, now in its fifth year, is now seeing fierce clashes between Russia-backed regime forces, armed opposition groups, the Daesh terrorist group and the PYD, the terrorist PKK group’s Syrian affiliate.

Clashes are currently taking place in the northwestern Aleppo province; the northwestern Idlib and Latakia provinces; the west-central Homs and Hama provinces; the southern Quneitra province near capital Damascus; and in the northeastern province of Al-Hasakah.

– Aleppo

Fighting between the PYD and opposition groups continues to rage in the Aleppo province, while in eastern Aleppo — and along the Damascus-Homs line — regime forces are fighting Daesh.

Recently, the most violent clashes have taken place in northern Aleppo between regime forces (with Russian air cover), the PYD and armed opposition groups.

Regime forces recently severed the opposition’s supply lines between the cities of Aleppo and Azaz, thus closing the humanitarian aid corridor between Turkey and Aleppo.

Russian warplanes have begun targeting the Idlib connection of the oppositions in order to surround the oppositions in the city of Aleppo.

The PYD, meanwhile, has managed to take both Aleppo’s northern Tel Rifaat district and the neighboring village of Sheikh Isa with a view to capturing the opposition’s last remaining stronghold in Aleppo.

Although clashes in northern Aleppo had appeared to subside in recent days, Russian warplanes on Monday again struck targets in Azaz.

Meanwhile, clashes between regime forces and opposition groups in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyye regions north of Aleppo city remain ongoing.

According to local sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the PYD has recently advanced toward residential areas of the town of Afrin in northwestern Aleppo.

– Idlib, Latakia

At the same time, the Idlib province’s Maaret al-Numan district remains the target of intense Russian airstrikes, while the Jabal al-Akrad and Turkmendagı regions in the Latakia province were both attacked by regime forces last weekend.

– Hama, Homs, Damascus

Rural areas of the Homs and Hama provinces, meanwhile, also continue to see fierce clashes between opposition and regime forces.

According to local sources, opposition forces recently captured a strategic village in Hama’s northwest, effectively cutting the regime’s supply lines.

Daesh, for its part, has also managed to capture certain parts of northeastern Hama, which effectively severed the regime’s supply lines through Aleppo.

– Quneitra, Al-Hasakah

In Syria’s southern Quneitra province, meanwhile, opposition groups continue to battle both regime forces and Daesh militants.

And in the northeastern province of Al-Hasakah, the PYD last week managed to briefly capture the southern town of Al-Shadadi — Daesh’s last remaining oil-rich stronghold in the province — although the town was soon after retaken by Daesh.

Author Sibel Uğurlu

[Photo: Syria-Turkey border: Syrians fleeing from Aleppo bombing at Bab al-Salam crossing opposite Turkish province of Kilis in Azaz town of Aleppo on 5 February 2016. Photographer: Kerem Kocalar/AA]