Turkish air assaults on Syria threaten US personnel: Pentagon | Syria’s Warfare Information
Turkey has stepped up air assaults on northern Syria for the reason that November 13 Istanbul bombing.
Turkish air assaults in northern Syria threaten the protection of United States army personnel and the escalating scenario is jeopardising years of progress towards ISIL (ISIS) fighters, the Pentagon has mentioned.
The general public feedback on Wednesday symbolize the strongest condemnation by the US of NATO ally Turkey’s air operations in current days towards Kurdish-led YPG (Individuals’s Safety Items) forces in northern Syria so far.
“Latest air strikes in Syria immediately threatened the protection of U.S. personnel who’re working in Syria with native companions to defeat ISIS and keep custody of greater than ten thousand ISIS detainees,” the Pentagon’s spokesman, Air Drive Brigadier Common Pat Ryder, mentioned in an announcement.
Ryder mentioned the escalating scenario threatened the progress made within the struggle towards ISIL fighters within the area.
He added that the US recognises Turkey’s “respectable safety considerations”.
“Speedy de-escalation is important so as to keep deal with the defeat-ISIS mission and make sure the security and safety of personnel on the bottom dedicated to the defeat-ISIS mission,” Ryder added.
The feedback from the US official come after Russia additionally warned towards a Turkish floor operation in Syria.
The US has roughly 900 troopers in Syria, primarily within the northeast of the nation, who work with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is led by the YPG, to struggle towards ISIL remnants.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned on Wednesday that Turkey’s air operations had been solely the start and that it might launch a land operation when convenient after an escalation in retaliatory strikes.
Ankara launched air operations on the weekend in retaliation for an Istanbul bomb assault every week earlier that killed six folks, and which it blamed on the Kurdistan Staff’ Social gathering (PKK) and the YPG. No person has claimed duty and the PKK and YPG have denied involvement.
Turkey has beforehand launched army incursions in Syria towards the YPG, concerning it as a wing of the outlawed PKK, which Turkey, the US and the European Union designate as a “terrorist” group.
The PKK and the YPG share shut ideological ties.
This isn’t the primary time Turkey’s operations in northern Syria have threatened US personnel. In 2019, American troops within the space got here underneath artillery fireplace from Turkish positions as Turkey waged an offensive towards US-allied Kurdish fighters on the time.
Turkey has repeatedly complained to the US that help for the YPG-led SDF undermines Washington’s place on the PKK and its dedication to Turkey’s safety.
Erdogan maintains that Turkey will solely be capable to take away the menace from the PKK and the YPG by clearing the militias from the Turkey-Syria border and making a “protected zone” in northern Syria.
