A senior fighter from Syria's largest rebel alliance, the Free Syrian Army, or FSA, said that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levants, or ISIL, has embarked on a fresh offensive on the Syrian town of Azez, which is currently controlled by the FSA-aligned groups, in order to expand the areas which Syrian Democratic Union Party controls.
The fighter, Abo Mustafa, said that PYD is determined to drive out all of its opponents out of the region where it is eager to have a stronger autonomy. “That's why, they have forcibly displaced all opponent elements from Tel Abyad. Currently, Kurdish armed groups have ensured a firm control in the region," he said.
Mustafa also warned against some collaborators who have served interests of the PYD while pretending to be supporters of the FSA.
The latest wave of attacks is believed to be an early stage of a larger strategy which aims to hand over control of a large area to the PKK's offshoot along the country's northern border.
Another systematic displacement campaign is imminent to target refugees, who have packed makeshift camps in a region stretching out from the Afrin town on the Syrian-Turkish border to Atma town in İdlib in northern Syria, according to another FSA fighter.
“They want to see a mass influx of refugees towards to the Turkish border. There are over one million people living in these camps," the fighter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They expect refugees living in these areas to mass along the Turkish border, while the U.S.-led coalition jets pretend to pound the ISIL targets along the region," he explained, citing local sources.
“This influx will give another opportunity to the PYD, who is eager to exercise its power along the Syria's northern border."
Turkmen commanders fighting in the regions earlier said that the PYD's armed wing, Popular Protection Units, YPG, run over the Tel Abyad to link-up all Kurdish-held cantons for a stronger autonomous state with the support of U.S.-led air strikes.
The latest in the string of assaults began after ISIL handed control of the Tel Abyad province to Syrian Democratic Union Party, or PYD, a PKK offshoot in Syria, as part of its political ambition, according to local sources.
ISIL militants have launched intensive attack to take control of the Bab al-Salam crossing, currently controlled by the Syrian opposition groups, and some opposition-held areas in the region, close to the border with Turkey.
Bab al-Salam border gate in the Syrian territory is the exit point of Turkey's Öncüpınar crossing in its border province of Kilis.
Only two Syrian border gates -- Bab al-Hawa in İdlib and Bab al-Salam in Aleppo – are now controlled by the armed groups, who are aligned with the Free Syrian Army. If and when ISIL seizes control at Bab al-Salam crossing, the opposition forces will have only one crossing to control.
Not unlike Turkmen commanders, the FSA suggest that ISIL has planned to hand over the control of the Azez to the Kurdish self-rule in the event that the province falls because it has been fighting for PYD's interests.
The FSA also propound that ISIL has specifically intended to weaken the hands of the rebel groups from the very beginning of the civilian war in 2011, so that either the regime forces or Kurdish militia will deploy in the area where the opposition groups are being quelled.
