The Syrian National Army (SNA) of the opposition forces have deliberate an offensive towards Ain al-Arab, also called Kobani, media retailers report, within the aftermath of the collapse of the Baathist regime based mostly in Damascus.
Located reverse the Turkish city of Suruç, the city is a stronghold of the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, which killed 1000’s over the previous few a long time in Türkiye. The SNA was fast to recapture Tal Rifaat and Manbij, held by terrorists as anti-regime forces had been advancing towards Aleppo and ultimately to Damascus final month. Operation Dawn of Freedom by SNA thwarted PKK/YPG plans to seize cities deserted by forces loyal to the Assad regime.
Tal Rifaat and Manbij are situated on the west of the Euphrates River, whereas Ain al-Arab is situated to the east of the river. If captured, they may additional cut back the terrorist group’s clout within the area the place it nonetheless controls cities in Qamishli and Hasakeh. Further south, the group additionally controls elements of Raqqa, which can be one other goal for the SNA.
Along with the SNA, a number of Arab tribes in areas managed by the PKK/YPG, which seeks to carve out a self-styled Kurdish autonomous area, are fascinated by driving away the group. The PKK/YPG discovered freedom of motion when Syria was mired in a civil battle and sought to legitimize itself by way of a so-called autonomous administration. Their self-styled entity benefited from the huge navy help of the United States, which partnered with the YPG underneath the guise of combating Daesh.
Several media retailers, together with the Wall Street Journal, claimed a Turkish navy buildup on the Syrian border, presumably for a brand new operation towards the terrorist group, although these experiences will not be confirmed by Turkish officers. The Turkish military final launched a 2019 operation entitled Peace Spring towards terrorists in northern Syria, liberating a number of cities. Those cities, now managed by the Syrian opposition, paved the best way for the secure return of refugees in Türkiye.
The seize of Ain al-Arab will additional confine PKK/YPG to a small enclave in Syria’s northeast and can largely safe the Turkish border stretching by way of the province of Şanlıurfa.
Ilham Ahmed, one of many ringleaders of PKK/YPG, wrote a letter to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and sought stress on Türkiye, the WSJ additionally reported, claiming Ankara would seize cities they managed. Türkiye repeatedly denied allegations of seize of Syrian territory and even underneath Bashar Assad, it underlined respect to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. But Ankara staunchly opposes the PKK/YPG presence near its borders. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated the group ought to both dissolve itself or can be eradicated in post-Assad Syria.
U.S. understands Türkiye’s “legitimate concerns” in regards to the risk posed by the PKK, the State Department stated Tuesday. “We understand the very legitimate concerns that Turkey has about the terrorist threat that the PKK poses. We understand the very legitimate concerns that Turkey has about the presence of foreign fighters inside Syria, and so we’re talking to them (Türkiye) about those concerns and trying to find a path forward,” spokesperson Matthew Miller stated at a news convention.
He stated the U.S. needs to see the “establishment of a Syrian national government that encompasses all of the various ethnic groups inside Syria.” “And at the end of that, you don’t have any subnational militias, any subnational groups who are carrying arms under their own banner. And as part of that, we certainly think it’s appropriate to discuss the expulsion of foreign fighters,” he added.
The U.S. repeatedly stated it could preserve assist for the terrorist PKK’s Syrian offshoot YPG-led SDF, its main Syrian accomplice within the combat towards the Daesh terrorist group, including that the Biden administration needs to take care of the concentrate on the anti-Daesh combat.
Meanwhile, Miller additionally stated the cease-fire between the Türkiye-backed opposition and YPG round Manbij has been prolonged till the top of this week. Washington brokered an preliminary cease-fire final week, but it surely had expired, Miller stated, including that Washington would really like the cease-fire to be prolonged for so long as attainable. “We continue to engage with the SDF and Turkey about a path forward,” Miller stated. “We don’t want to see any party take advantage of the current unstable situation to advance their own narrow interests at the expense of the broader Syrian national interest,” he added.
One day after the “cease-fire” Miller talked about, PKK/YPG members launched a drone assault in Manbij, concentrating on an space the place journalists converged to cowl the scenario within the liberated city. Journalists escaped unhurt whereas SNA members downed the small drone.
Russia additionally has navy items to the east of the Euphrates, and they’re within the technique of withdrawal, Turkish media reported. A Russian navy convoy was noticed throughout its departure from an space close to Qamishli.
Source: www.dailysabah.com