MANBIJ, Syria— US soldiers aboard Humvee armoured vehicles have been watching from a distance as two of their allies, Turkish-backed forces and a Kurdish-led alliance, battle it out for control of Manbij in Syrian Kurdistan (northern Syria).
An AFP correspondent on Friday saw the American soldiers on patrol north of the city of Manbij, just miles from the fierce clashes taking place further west.
Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels have tried since Wednesday to capture Manbij, a former bastion of the Islamic State group, now under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance.
The SDF is dominated by fighters known as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) which Ankara brands as “terrorists”.
On August 24, 2016, Turkey, along with the Free Syrian Army, launched an incursion into northern Syria, east of Afrin canton to stop the US-backed Kurdish YPG forces from extending areas under their control and connecting Syrian Kurdistan’s Kobani and Hasaka in the east with Afrin canton in the west.
Turkey-backed forces also also focused on cleaning the area in northern Syria from the Islamic State (IS) and have captured a number of towns from IS jihadists, including Al-Bab near the Turkish border.
Turkey fears the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syrian Kurdistan — similar to the Kurdish region in Iraqi Kurdistan — would spur the separatist ambitions of Turkey’s own Kurds.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week said the next target would be Manbij, in Aleppo province.
And on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu threatened to strike the YPG unless they pull out of the northern city.
The SDF is dominated by fighters known as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) which Ankara brands as “terrorists”.
On August 24, 2016, Turkey, along with the Free Syrian Army, launched an incursion into northern Syria, east of Afrin canton to stop the US-backed Kurdish YPG forces from extending areas under their control and connecting Syrian Kurdistan’s Kobani and Hasaka in the east with Afrin canton in the west.
Turkey-backed forces also also focused on cleaning the area in northern Syria from the Islamic State (IS) and have captured a number of towns from IS jihadists, including Al-Bab near the Turkish border.
Turkey fears the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syrian Kurdistan — similar to the Kurdish region in Iraqi Kurdistan — would spur the separatist ambitions of Turkey’s own Kurds.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week said the next target would be Manbij, in Aleppo province.
And on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu threatened to strike the YPG unless they pull out of the northern city.
But Votel’s spokesman, Colonel John Thomas, said that, while the general supported a peaceful transition of Manbij to a “thriving city”, he did not say if the US would stop any Turkish move towards it.
The United States has special operations forces advising the SDF on the ground in Syria, but no combat units.
Sherfan Darwish, spokesman of the Manbij Military Council which is part of the SDF, tried to play down the absence of US forces in Manbij.
“The coalition is on patrol along the Sarjur river (north of Manbij) and there is coordination with the coalition at the highest level,” Darwish told AFP.
“All our fighters in Manbij were trained by the Americans,” he added.
Syrian Kurdistan’s ruling PYD has established three autonomous zones, or Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan in 2013. On March 17, 2016 Syria’s Kurds declared a federal region in Syrian Kurdistan. On Dec. 30, 2016 Syrian Kurds approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in Syrian Kurdistan, reaffirming their plans for autonomy in areas they have controlled during the civil war.
Source: http://ekurd.net/us-forces-turks-kurds-syria-2017-03-04