Syrian Kurds claim Turkey broke ceasefire, killing 5 civilians, 13 fighters

Oct. 18, 2019
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkey “did not abide” by the US-brokered temporary ceasefire that was to halt Ankara’s incursion into northern and northeastern Syria, local Kurdish officials claimed on Friday, adding that 18 people had been killed in attacks since it went into effect.
Turkish bombardment “targeted the village of Bab al-Khair, southeast of Ras al-Ain [Serekaniye],” the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) said in a statement. It did not say at what time the attacks had occurred.
Reuters reported that Turkish shelling had only lasted until mid-morning Friday, citing their journalists based in the area. In a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Friday, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan had claimed there had been “minor” attacks, but they had been promptly stopped.
The truce was brokered by the US early into the second week of Turkey’s military incursion into areas in northern Syria that are run by the SDC and its armed wing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ankara wants the Kurdish elements of the SDF, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), to withdraw from the Turkish border up to about 32 kilometers southward.
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Syrian Kurds call on US to pressure Turkey to implement ceasefire

Oct. 19, 2019
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday called on the US administration to pressure Turkey to implement the ceasefire and open a safe corridor so civilians and injured fighters in the city of Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) can leave the city.
“US Vice President, Mr. Mike Pence, and US Secretary of State, Mr. Mike Pompeo, who concluded the agreement with the Turkish side, have a responsibility to oblige Turkey to implement the ceasefire and open the corridor, according to the understandings with the US side,” the SDF said in a statement.
The multi-ethnic SDF force accepted the US-brokered ceasefire on Thursday but said Turkey is violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to attack the town since last night.
David Eubank, a former US Special Forces officer, and leader of the medical relief group called the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), told Kurdistan 24 that there was still heavy fighting taking place on Saturday morning between Serekaniye and Tel Temir.
“We tried to get in yesterday and got to [within] three kilometers, but FSA [Free Syrian Army] blocks the way—they fire mortars and machine guns, and we are shelled by artillery,” Eubank said.
Read more at https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/0bc892c1-53bd-4abb-86e3-e03b921b463a