Ankara, which its fighting militants from its own Kurdish minority, has begun to step up efforts to curb the growth of Kurdish influence in Syria, where it backs Sunni Arab groups that are also hostile to the YPG.
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A local journalist working for AFP said he saw members of the pro-government National Defence Forces militia retreating from Al-Nashwa.
Ground fighting intensified late on Friday when Kurdish YPG fighters battled Syrian forces, whose air force flew sorties over the city, Kurds and monitors said.
“We are going to tell the Syrians and anyone else who may threaten our force in that are that we will defend then and they have a right to defend themselves as well”, Cook said. The rebels, Turkey-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified.
Last week, the tense power-sharing arrangement in Hasakah broke down, leading to Syrian government forces striking YPG/SDF-controlled targets, with the government accusing them of “provocations” in the city.
On Monday, Kerry said that the two countries could possibly reach an agreement “before the end of the month”, but added, “I can’t tell you whether it’s likely”.
Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said on August 19 that US forces have increased combat air patrols near Al-Hasakah and warned Damascus that Washington will defend coalition troops from attacks.
The YPG is a major ally of the US-led coalition in the drive against the Islamic State (Isis). The U.S. relayed the warning to Syria through Russian Federation because they are allied with the Syrian government in that country’s civil war.
At least seven mortars landed in the town, a Reuters witness said, while a drone hovered overhead and armoured military vehicles patrolled the border. It fears that a Syrian Kurdish presence on its southern border could give rise to a fresh PKK campaign for an independent Kurdish state – a concern it now shares with Damascus.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the raids showed Damascus was starting to see the Kurdish attempt to consolidate territory in northern Syria as “a threat”.
The Raptors chased away the Fencers to protect U.S. Special Operations forces that are operating in the area, and no weapons were fired, according to The Los Angeles Times’ W.J. Hennigan.
The YPG has been fighting Islamic State in northern Syria as part of a US -backed alliance called the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), which also includes Arab groups. The FSA rebels have also clashed with the YPG in and around Aleppo, accusing the Kurdish group of coordinating attacks with the government.
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The U.S. and Russian Federation previous year established a “memorandum of understanding” that created lines of communications for safely sharing the skies over Syria and avoiding a mishap that could spark a broader conflict. The Russians have passed the message to the Assad government, he said. “As our forces move through Syria and continue their partnered operations, we will do what we need to do to protect our forces”.
