Syria Kurds, al-Qaeda militants clash

Fresh clashes have erupted between al-Qaeda-linked militant groups and the Kurdish population in Syria, near the border with Turkey.

According to Press TV, PYD fighters from the Syrian arm of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) clashed with the militants in the town of Atma on Wednesday. Reports say seven militants were killed.
Two PKK members also died when mortar shells were fired on the outskirts of the city of Jandari.
The battles have escalated in the north and northeastern of Syria after Kurdish fighters, who are opposed to foreign interference in Syria, managed to push back militants from several positions in the region.
On July 30, a powerful Kurdish group said it was mobilizing against al-Qaeda-linked militants in northeastern Syria after a Kurdish opposition leader was killed in the area.
Kurds make up about ten percent of Syria’s population of about 21 million.
Over the past few months, foreign-backed militants have been trying to take over Syria’s Kurdish regions near Turkey.