Heavy weaponry to be sent to PYD/PKK seized in NW Syria

By Burak Karacaoglu,Eshref Musa and Levent Tok

IDLIB, Syria

A Syrian armed opposition group on Sunday said it had seized a fuel tanker carrying a huge cache of arms in Syria’s Aleppo province, .

In a post published on its social media account, the Syrian opposition Nour al-Din al-Zenki’s members said they seized the vehicle during an operation in the rural area of western Aleppo near Aqil Mountain.

The group stated that the weapons were initially supposed to be sent to the PYD/PKK terrorist organization in Afrin, where the Turkish military and Free Syrian Army are engaged in fighting terrorist groups.

Nour al-Din al-Zenki published a video and pictures purporting to show the fuel tanker loaded with heavy weapons.

The seized weapons include RPG-7 rocket launchers, infantry rifles, 7.62-millimeter machine guns and its ammunition -- jointly produced by NATO member countries -- automatic weapons, a large amount of ammunition and anti-aircraft weapons, according to the opposition group .

No information on who is behind the shipment of the weaponry was provided.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council decisions, self-defense rights under the UN Charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity.