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Syrian troops enter Kurdish fight against Turkish forces Syrian troops enter Kurdish fight against Turkish forces
(about 2 hours later)
Syrian troops have begun sweeping into Kurdish-held territory on a collision course with Turkish forces and their allies, a day after the beleaguered Kurds agreed to hand over key cities to Damascus in exchange for protection.Syrian troops have begun sweeping into Kurdish-held territory on a collision course with Turkish forces and their allies, a day after the beleaguered Kurds agreed to hand over key cities to Damascus in exchange for protection.
The deal, which Kurdish leaders emphasised they had made reluctantly after five days of relentless bombardment by Turkish artillery and jets, threatens to open a new front in Syria’s nearly nine-year civil war, and signals the likely end of US and European military deployments in the country’s north-east. The deal, which Kurdish leaders emphasised they had made reluctantly after four days of relentless bombardment by Turkish artillery and jets, threatens to open a new front in Syria’s nearly nine-year civil war, and signals the likely end of US and European military deployments in the country’s north-east.
There were multiple reports overnight and on Monday morning that Syrian soldiers had entered the Kurdish-held cities of Manbij and Kobane. The Syrian army said in a statement on Monday its troops had reached Tel Tamr, a city about 12 miles from the Turkish border. There were several flashpoints across north-eastern Syria on Monday. Multiple unconfirmed reports said Syrian soldiers had already entered the Kurdish-held city of Manbij in line with Sunday’s agreement. On Monday morning, Turkey’s president signalled that Syrian militia groups allied to his country were preparing to attempt to capture the city. “We are about to implement our decision on Manbij,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in Istanbul.
There were unconfirmed reports that Syrian troops had clashed overnight with Kurdish fighters in the city of Qamishli, which was not surrendered to Damascus in Sunday’s Russian-brokered agreement. Further to the east, the Syrian army said it had reached the city of Tal Tamr, bringing it to within 12 miles of the Turkish border.
Turkish fighters and their allies were continuing to attack Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, two cities that have been the focus of Ankara’s mission to push Kurdish fighters – whom it considers to be terrorists – away from its southern border and create a buffer zone where it says it will resettle at least 1 million Syrian refugees. Unconfirmed reports said that Syrian army troops had clashed overnight with Kurdish fighters in the city of Qamishli, which was not surrendered to Damascus in Sunday’s Russian-brokered agreement.
Meanwhile, Turkish fighters and their allies were continuing to attack Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, two cities that have been the focus of Ankara’s mission to push Kurdish fighters – whom it considers to be terrorists – away from its southern border and create a buffer zone where it says it will resettle at least 1 million Syrian refugees.
Syria and Turkey have exchanged hostilities sporadically throughout the past nine years but their forces have never engaged in sustained combat, pulling back from doing so at key moments in earlier Turkish incursions into Syrian territory.
The prospect of fighting between Syrian troops and Turkish soldiers and their allies raised deep concerns over the security of the estimated 11,000 Islamic State fighters and their families who are detained across the region. More than 700 people with links to the terrorist group escaped from detention camps in the area on Sunday.The prospect of fighting between Syrian troops and Turkish soldiers and their allies raised deep concerns over the security of the estimated 11,000 Islamic State fighters and their families who are detained across the region. More than 700 people with links to the terrorist group escaped from detention camps in the area on Sunday.
Syrian state media said on Monday that units from President Bashar al-Assad’s army was moving north to “confront Turkish aggression on Syrian territory”. Unconfirmed reports said the deal between the Kurds and the regime would be extended to apply to the whole of north-east Syria.Syrian state media said on Monday that units from President Bashar al-Assad’s army was moving north to “confront Turkish aggression on Syrian territory”. Unconfirmed reports said the deal between the Kurds and the regime would be extended to apply to the whole of north-east Syria.
“After everything, it seems that the fate of the Kurdish people [is to be abandoned],” Ismat Sheikh Hassan, the leader of the military council in Kobane, told local television. “We did everything that we could, we called upon the international community … but it did not result in a solution. We urged all Kurdish [groups] to show solidarity, but no one listened.”“After everything, it seems that the fate of the Kurdish people [is to be abandoned],” Ismat Sheikh Hassan, the leader of the military council in Kobane, told local television. “We did everything that we could, we called upon the international community … but it did not result in a solution. We urged all Kurdish [groups] to show solidarity, but no one listened.”
The deal is likely to bring a bitter end to five years of semi-autonomy for Kurdish groups in north-east Syria. Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring started on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced that US forces would withdraw from the region.The deal is likely to bring a bitter end to five years of semi-autonomy for Kurdish groups in north-east Syria. Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring started on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced that US forces would withdraw from the region.
Trump had not specified a timeframe for the US withdrawal from Syria, but on Sunday, the US defence secretary, Mark Esper, said the remaining 1,000 special forces had been ordered to leave “as safely and quickly as possible” as the fighting between Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces began to threaten US military positions.Trump had not specified a timeframe for the US withdrawal from Syria, but on Sunday, the US defence secretary, Mark Esper, said the remaining 1,000 special forces had been ordered to leave “as safely and quickly as possible” as the fighting between Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces began to threaten US military positions.
The SDF has been funded and trained by the US to combat Isis since 2015, finally defeating the militant group in March after losing 11,000 troops in the battle.The SDF has been funded and trained by the US to combat Isis since 2015, finally defeating the militant group in March after losing 11,000 troops in the battle.
Turkey, however, says the largest unit of of the SDF, the Kurdish YPG, is a terrorist group indistinguishable from the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades.Turkey, however, says the largest unit of of the SDF, the Kurdish YPG, is a terrorist group indistinguishable from the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades.
Trump’s decision to abandon the SDF to an inevitable Turkish assault has been widely criticised, even by his staunchest allies, as a betrayal of a military partner that has unleashed a humanitarian disaster and threatens to sow the seeds of an Isis resurgence amid the ensuing chaos.Trump’s decision to abandon the SDF to an inevitable Turkish assault has been widely criticised, even by his staunchest allies, as a betrayal of a military partner that has unleashed a humanitarian disaster and threatens to sow the seeds of an Isis resurgence amid the ensuing chaos.
On Sunday, at least 750 people with suspected links to Isis reportedly fled a displacement camp in north-east Syria. The women and children who were formerly part of the “caliphate” had been held in a secure annexe at the Ain Issa camp. They began to riot and scared away the guards after Turkish shelling struck nearby, said Abdulkader Mwahed, the joint president for humanitarian affairs in the Kurdish-held area of Syria.On Sunday, at least 750 people with suspected links to Isis reportedly fled a displacement camp in north-east Syria. The women and children who were formerly part of the “caliphate” had been held in a secure annexe at the Ain Issa camp. They began to riot and scared away the guards after Turkish shelling struck nearby, said Abdulkader Mwahed, the joint president for humanitarian affairs in the Kurdish-held area of Syria.
The UK-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the number of escapees at 100, publishing pictures of men, women and children running through yellow scrubland.
The camp was home to about 13,000 people, including three suspected British orphans and a British recruiter for Isis, Tooba Gondal.The camp was home to about 13,000 people, including three suspected British orphans and a British recruiter for Isis, Tooba Gondal.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said his goal is to create a 20-mile-deep “safe zone” on its border with the SDF, enough to keep Turkish border towns out of the range of shelling and rocket fire.
However, Ain Issa and other Kurdish-held towns and roads south of the proposed zone have been hit by airstrikes and shelling. Syrian rebel proxies fighting on behalf of Turkey were pushing south and refused to allow the town of Manbij to fall into regime hands, a fighter with the Syrian National Army (SNA) rebel umbrella group said, reporting that Turkey had begun shelling the SDF-held town west of the Euphrates River.
A convoy of 40 armoured Turkish trucks travelled into Syria from the Jarablus border crossing to reinforce the Turkish offensive, another military source said.
About 130,000 people in Syria have been displaced in the five-day-old operation, with at least 60 civilian casualties in Syria and 18 deaths in Turkey after counter-attack SDF shelling of Turkish border towns.
The SNA summarily executed nine civilians, including a female politician, a human rights monitor has claimed. The umbrella group said it had ordered an investigation and commanders were to “continuously supervise combatants on the frontlines to prevent any abuse”.
Additional reporting by Hussein AkkoshAdditional reporting by Hussein Akkosh
SyriaSyria
TurkeyTurkey
KurdsKurds
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
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