The Turkish Armed Forces shelled Syrian Arab Army posts in the southern Idlib countryside late Saturday, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

Ankara's forces reportedly used heavy artillery to shell the Syrian Arab Army positions a day after the Syrian armed forces suffered major losses at the hands of terror groups.

16 Syrian soldiers were martyred following fierce confrontations against militants from armed terrorist groups in the northern region of Latakia, Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported on Saturday.

Additionally, five other soldiers sustained injuries during the violent clash and have since been transported to hospitals for immediate medical attention. The severity of their injuries remains undisclosed at this time.

A multitude of Western-backed terrorist organizations arose in Syria in the wake of the US-led war that has been waged against the country, all of whom have been fighting against the legitimate Syrian Arab Army that has managed to eradicate many similar groups. 

This comes amid heavy fighting in Syria's east as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are engaging in clashes with Arab tribes east of the Euphrates.

SDF announced that they are launching a military operation to confront Arab tribes in the country's east as an Al Mayadeen correspondent said SDF used artillery and grad MLRS to bomb the town of al-Busaryah in Deir Ezzor Eastern countryside.

Local sources from northern Deir Ezzor confirm the control of Arab tribal fighters over the entire towns of Al-Baghouz, Al-Basir, and Al-Shahil. The sources confirmed Arab tribal fighters control the road leading to the Al-Omar oil field, which is the largest US base in the area.

It is worth noting that armed clashes broke out last week between armed tribal groups and affiliates of the DEMC, on one side, and the SDF, on the other, in the northern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor Governorate.

The fighting erupted after the Kurdish militia arrested the head of the military council, Ahmad Abu Khawla also known as Ahmed Khabil. The Arab leader was lured by the SDF to a senior meeting in the rural areas of Al-Hasakah and subsequently detained.

Violent clashes erupted once again on Saturday between fighters belonging to the Syrian National Army (SNA), a group supported by Turkey, and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the western outskirts of Manbij in the countryside of Aleppo.

SNA fighters are making a concerted effort to advance in the direction of the Am Adasa village in western Manbij, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported. This advance is accompanied by a barrage of heavy artillery and rocket fire from both sides.

Simultaneously, the Syrian National Army is said to have opened crossings for individuals from local tribes willing to join the fight against the SDF in Manbij and Al-Bab. This move was reportedly realized through a joint attack by the SNA and armed groups claiming to be tribal members, targeting several villages on two fronts.

Turkish-affiliated SNA posted videos claiming they had "taken control of the villages of Arab Hasan and Al-Mushannaleh" in the countryside of Manbij and Al-Bab, while the spokesperson for the SDF-affiliated Manbij Military Council, Sharfan Darwish, quickly denied "any news of mercenaries gaining control over any point or checkpoint in the villages and towns of the countryside of Manbij and Al-Bab."

Read more: New Arab tribe joins fight to repel US-backed SDF from Deir Ezzor