In Syria, a Kurdish-led group known as the Syria Democratic Forces earlier this month liberated the nearby town of Manbij from the Islamic State group, triggering concerns in Ankara that they would seize the entire border strip with Turkey. Syrian activists have said that hundreds of Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters are gathered in the Turkish border area of Karkamis in preparation for an attack on Jarablus. The rebels, from a coalition of mainstream Islamist groups, are massing in the Turkish border town of Karkamis before the operation, which one rebel leader described as “Turkish sponsored”. USA special operations forces have been in the area for months conducting training and advisory missions with the Arab and Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the major U.S. ally in the region.
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On Monday, US jets scrambled in a warning shot to the Syrian government not to carry out strikes on US-backed fighters or personnel.
PYD group, the Syrian affiliate of the terrorist PKK organization, has besieged government forces in Al-Hasakah city in northeastern Syria, according to local sources.
Davis called the entire situation “very unusual” and said the Pentagon was “hard pressed” to think of another time when Syrian forces came so close to attacking the United States, even if that was not their intention.
Turkey’s long-time position has been that President Bashar al-Assad must be ousted as a condition for peace in Syria.
Washington considers the PYD an ally in its fight against the Daesh terrorist group. There was no immediate comment from Turkey.
The source said the Kurds couldn’t advance in government-controlled areas, contrary to their claims that they have achieved that.
Syrian state media says a cease-fire between government and Kurdish forces in Hasakeh has gone into effect, six days after fierce clashes erupted between the two sides over control of the northern Syrian city.
Washington’s aerial support for the Kurds, which has effectively grounded Assad’s warplanes over Hasakah and given the YPG an vast advantage against government troops, is likely to further alienate Turkey.
Clashes continued Monday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northeastern city of Hasaka amid reports of an ongoing effort by Russian Federation to reach a cease-fire agreement, activists and residents said.
Haj Mansour said two suspects were in custody but would make no comment about their identities.
Details reported by state TV included a prisoner swap, handing over the wounded and bodies of the dead, and opening the roads to Syrian army positions inside and outside the city.
But as the two sides began fighting this week, the Syrian government accused the Kurdish forces of trying to take over, and “stealing cotton, oil, kidnapping civilians, and spread chaos”, a statement from the Syrian Arab Army read.
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A source in the city told Xinhua that the Kurds actually took control of several government positions, in their bid to shrink the government presence in that area to a small security zone. Plumes of smoke were seen billowing overhead. They must also be frustrated when their American allies have a perfectly good air force that is doing nothing to protect them from either Russian Federation or Syria.
