Turkish shelling, clashes with Kurdish fighters renew in nor

DAMASCUS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish shelling renewed on Wednesday on the Kurdish fighters' positions in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah, pro-government al-Watan online newspaper reported.

The Turkish artillery shelling targeted the Kurdish positions in the Dirbasiyeh area, amid clashes between both sides, said the report.

Information indicates that the Kurdish fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew parts of its forces from the wide-scale military campaign against the Islamic state (IS) group's stronghold in Raqqa, in anticipation to any Turkish escalation on the borders, said the report.

Meanwhile, activists said intense battles are taking place between the Kurdish People protection Units (YPG) and the Turkish army, during an attempt of ground intrusion by the Turkish forces in northern Syria.

A day earlier, Turkish airstrikes and missile attacks targeted positions of the Kurdish fighters on areas on the Syrian-Iraqi borders, killing 50 on both sides of the borders.

The United States expressed concern over the attack, saying Turkey didn't coordinate with the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition.

Meanwhile, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly said that the attacks in Iraq and Syria will not stop until the elimination of the last "terrorist."

Turkey has for long been against any growing influence of the Syrian Kurds in northern Syria, near the Turkish borders.

It repeatedly stressed that it will not allow the Kurds of having a rule in that area.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned on Wednesday the Turkish airstrikes, warning the Turkish government of undermining Syria's sovereignty.

The ministry said the Turkish airstrikes caused the killing of tens of civilians.

"This aggression runs against the international law and the UN Charters," the ministry said, calling on the international community and the UN to condemn this attack and the "pro-terrorism policies of the Turkish government."