Northern Syria under assault

Syrian forces on Monday struck a market in the rebel-controlled town of Maaret al-Noumaan, killing at least 13 people. In a separate attack, Turkish artillery shells landed near a school in the Kurdish-held town of Tal Rifaat, killing nine people, including eight children. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported additional strikes in the nearby town of Saraqeb and another Russian attack in the city of Idlib.

Why the attacks? Tensions have remained high in northern Syria since the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has pushed forward a military offensive in the region despite a fragile cease-fire in August. Turkey also has continued its cross-border incursions against Syrian Kurds since last month. Russia and Turkey have carried out joint patrols in the region since October.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on how the U.S. withdrawal from the region allowed Turkish forces to target civilians.