Syrian Army ‘raises flag’ in country’s Kurdish province for 1st time since start of civil war
28 Dec, 2018
Damascus says it has deployed troops to the city of Manbij, the focal point of a tense standoff between Kurds and Turkey, as the government continues attempts to reassert control over the strategic border area in Syria’s north.
The Kurdish YPG militia on Friday called on Damascus to secure Manbij, located close to the border with Turkey. Ankara earlier said it plans to conduct an “anti-terrorist operation” around the city, with the YPG being the target.
Read more at https://www.rt.com/news/447572-syrian-forces-enter-manbij/
US refutes Syrian government’s claim of entering Manbij
The US military calls parties to respect the ‘integrity of Manbij and the safety of its citizens’.
28 Dec, 2018
The Syrian army has not entered Manbij, the United States military has said, after Syrian forces claimed they had gone into the key northern city and raised the national flag.
“Despite incorrect information about changes to the military forces in Manbij city, (the US-led coalition) has seen no indication of these claims being true,” US Central Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Earl Brown said on Friday.
Manbij is a strategic city close to the Turkish border where Kurdish forces have been deployed since 2016.
Read more at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/refutes-syrian-government-claim-entering-manbij-181228185158289.html
Kurdish YPG calls on Syrian government to protect Manbij from Turkish attack
28 Dec, 2018
As Turkey amasses troops on the border, the Syrian Kurdish YPG militias have called on Damascus to intervene. Until recently the YPG enjoyed the protection of the US troops, who were deployed in the Kurdish northeast.
In a statement on Friday, the YPG said that Syrian Army troops should enter the areas, from which the Kurdish militias have previously withdrawn.
“We invite the Syrian government forces, which are obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders, to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particularly Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion,” the statement said.
Read more at https://www.rt.com/news/447570-ypg-syria-army-manbij-turkey/
Erdoğan says Turkey has no business in Syria’s Manbij if YPG terrorists leave
December 28, 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said that Assad’s forces are in efforts to run a psychological operation in Syria’s Manbij.
Speaking to reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers, Erdogan said Turkey’s goal is to teach the YPG/PKK terror group a lesson, and Turkey is determined to make it happen.
“We are against the partitioning of Syria. Our goal is terrorist groups leaving there. If the [terrorist] groups leave, then there is no job left for us,” he stressed.
Read more at https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/assad-forces-are-trying-to-run-a-psychological-operation-in-syrias-manbij-erdogan-3470351
