Kurdish groups capture new positions in Syrian city

A city in northeastern Syria has become a flashpoint in the country’s civil war as Syrian warplanes attacked Kurdish forces Thursday, and the United States responded by sending in its own aircraft to protect US coalition forces in the area.

The coalition aircraft arrived to protect the USA personnel from the strikes just as the two Syrian government Su-24 bombers were departing, according to Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis, who said none of the US forces on the ground were harmed. “The Syrian Regime would be well advised not to interfere with Coalition forces or its partners”.

While forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian Federation and Iran, have focused mostly on fighting Sunni Arab rebels, the YPG has prioritised carving out and safeguarding predominantly Kurdish regions of northern Syria.

The situation threatens to bring the worldwide coalition into direct conflict with Assad’s forces for the first time since United States planes started an anti-Isis bombing campaign in September 2015. “No weapons were fired by the coalition fighters”.

Syrian government’s warplanes bombed Kurdish areas of Hassakeh for the second day running on Friday.

It said many civilians were fleeing areas affected by the fighting to safety, and hospitals in Kurdish areas of the city did not have enough blood and medicines to treat the wounded.

Russia told the planes were not Russian via a U.S. It said that the aircraft reached the area as two Syrian jets were leaving, and the USA special operation forces were in the area where the strikes were taking place.

When the bombing began, coalition forces on the ground tried to call the Syrian aircraft on a common radio channel, but there was no response, according to Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis.

A truce has been reached between Syrian forces and Kurdish fighters in the volatile northeastern province of Hasakah under a Russian mediation, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported on Sunday.

A direct clash between USA forces and Syria’s military would have led to unpredictable consequences, given Mr. Assad’s alliance with Iran and Russian Federation.

The targets were linked to the former Al-Nusra Front, now Fateh Al-Sham Front, the ministry said.

Davis said there are a small group of USA commandos in the area training and advising Syrian Democratic Forces fighting to oust President Assad.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which reports daily on the war using a network of activists, said on Friday that at least 22 civilians, including nine children, had been killed in the past two days.

“We have highly disciplined and professional Airmen delivering airpower and ensuring defense as needed and where needed”, Karns said.

Thousands of civilians have been fleeing the Kurdish-majority city, Hasaka, since the Syrian airstrikes started on Thursday, which witnesses said have killed dozens of people.

Hasakah is already divided into Kurdish-held zones and government-control areas.

The Kurds, who control much of northeastern and northern Syria along the Turkish border where they have proclaimed an autonomous Kurdish region, recently demanded that the pro-government National Defence Forces disband in Hasakeh.

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On Friday, both sides continued trading artillery fire, residents said.