500 moderate fighters to defend Syria's beleaguered town of Azaz

As many as 500 fighters from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have entered Syrian territory through Turkey to defend Azaz town, besieged by Syrian Kurdish militia forces.

The fighters have joined forces with Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga to repel PYD-linked armed groups who are reported to have besieged the key town from two sides after the fall of Menagh military air base six days ago. Turkey considers Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing People's Protection Unit (YPG) as "terrorist organisations" as they are closely linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for the Kurdish self-rule in Turkey since 1984.

In 2014, the FSA soldiers had crossed into Syria through Mürşitpınar border gate in the border city of Şanlıurfa in order to break the Daesh siege on the Kurdish-dominant town of Kobani in northern Syria. In this battle, the FSA was fighting on the side of armed Kurdish groups, linked with PYD, to clear Kobani of Daesh, another group which is listed as terrorist group in Turkey.

Russian-backed Syrian pro-government forces have cut off the last supply route, known as the Azaz corridor, linking partially

opposition-held Aleppo with Turkey. If the last corridor completely falls, the rebel groups could lose the quarters of Aleppo they currrently control, mostly in the east.

It means that Assad's regime, backed by Iran and Russia, and the PYD will gain the power to control the entire Turkish-Syrian border. PYD-linked armed groups' attempt to advance to Aleppo and open harrassment fire into Turkish territory has prompted the Turkish military to retaliate with Fırtına howitzers.

Syrian opposition forces have marched to the area which Turkish military targeted in lines with the rules of engagement. One of them is Sham Legion, known as Homs Legion, fighting in northern Idlib against forces, loyal to Assad. Sham Legion has sent its fighters to the besieged town to stop the advance of PYD's armed groups. They appear to be protecting the corridor leading to the opposition-held eastern Aleppo.

The reports said that Sham Legion, an umbrella group of 19 different organizations some of which were previously affiliated with Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, had dispatched 500 fighters to conflict in the key town through Turkey's Cilvegöz border crossing three days ago.

The fighters crossed into Syria under Turkey's supervision after the government had approved their crossing into Syrian territory

through the country's border. Road safety was also maintained at the highest level during the shipment of weapons of the armed group to Azaz from the group's militiary post in Idlib.

It is estimated that Sham Legion, also known as Homs Legion, has 2,500 fighters battling in northern parts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces.