Beirut - (AFP) - Six pro-Ankara fighters were killed in violent clashes in northwestern Syria with the Syrian regime forces and Kurdish forces, according to what was reported Monday by opposition factions and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

A statement issued by the pro-Ankara factions stated that they had confronted a "joint night infiltration operation" between the regime forces and the Kurdish forces on three axes in the Afrin district, north of Aleppo.

According to a source in Faylaq al-Sham faction, six of their fighters were killed during the attack, and two fighters are still missing.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "violent clashes broke out between the Kurdish forces and the Syrian regime on the one hand, and the Sham Corps faction on the other" in villages in the countryside of Afrin.

The Observatory added that the Kurdish forces and the regime forces were able to advance on two axes following the attack, amid mutual artillery and missile shelling by both sides.

Local residents told an AFP correspondent that the clashes continued until Monday morning.

About 30 factions, within what is known as the Syrian National Army loyal to Ankara, which provides it with equipment, weapons and financing, share control of a border area in the north of Aleppo governorate, extending from Jarabulus in the northeastern countryside to Afrin in its western countryside, passing through major cities such as al-Bab and Azaz.
Turkish forces are also deployed in that area.

The region witnesses from time to time mutual shelling by several parties, as well as raids by the regime forces and Russia.

And identical sources said that these clashes are not related to the Turkish threats to launch attacks on sites in Syria and Iraq, after it accused the Kurds of being behind an explosive device attack in Istanbul on November 13, which killed six people.

Since 2011, Syria has been witnessing a bloody conflict that has killed about half a million people, caused massive destruction to infrastructure and productive sectors, and led to the displacement of millions of people inside and outside the country.