Turkey-SDF ceasefire in northern Syria ‘holding’: Pentagon
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Pentagon emphasized on Monday that the ceasefire the US recently brokered between its NATO ally Turkey and Kurdish partners in northern Syria is “still holding” despite reported clashes in the region.
“There is a ceasefire that is still holding in the northern part of Syria. And we're going to continue to monitor that,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Earlier this month, the United States brokered a ceasefire between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkey, though Ankara denied agreeing to the arrangement.
There have been reports of continued clashes between the SDF and the Ankara-based Syrian National Army (SNA) which has recently launched expanded attacks on the SDF, particularly near the strategic Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River.
On Thursday, SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami said that they had killed more than 450 SNA militants in the last three weeks while repelling their attacks.
Hours after Singh’s remarks, the SDF said in a statement that Turkey-backed “mercenaries” shelled their forces in southeast Manbij with “heavy artillery.”
There is also fear of a Turkish offensive in Kobane city, which is known as the symbol of Kurdish resistance against ISIS.
Convoys of US troops have been spotted in Kobane in recent days. But this has not stopped SNA attacks there.
“I'm not tracking any increase in US personnel outside of what we already have in Syria,” Singh added.
Earlier this month, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder acknowledged that nearly 2,000 United States troops are currently stationed in Syria, more than double earlier official numbers. He attributed the discrepancy “to temporary rotational forces that deploy to meet shifting mission requirements” while maintaining that there is a “core 900 deployers” on longer-term deployments.
Singh reiterated that the US’s mission in Syria is “to ensure the defeat of ISIS.”
The US has carried out frequent strikes against ISIS to prevent the group from exploiting a security vacuum after the fall of the regime.
“There is a ceasefire that is still holding in the northern part of Syria. And we're going to continue to monitor that,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Earlier this month, the United States brokered a ceasefire between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkey, though Ankara denied agreeing to the arrangement.
There have been reports of continued clashes between the SDF and the Ankara-based Syrian National Army (SNA) which has recently launched expanded attacks on the SDF, particularly near the strategic Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River.
On Thursday, SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami said that they had killed more than 450 SNA militants in the last three weeks while repelling their attacks.
Hours after Singh’s remarks, the SDF said in a statement that Turkey-backed “mercenaries” shelled their forces in southeast Manbij with “heavy artillery.”
There is also fear of a Turkish offensive in Kobane city, which is known as the symbol of Kurdish resistance against ISIS.
Convoys of US troops have been spotted in Kobane in recent days. But this has not stopped SNA attacks there.
“I'm not tracking any increase in US personnel outside of what we already have in Syria,” Singh added.
Earlier this month, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder acknowledged that nearly 2,000 United States troops are currently stationed in Syria, more than double earlier official numbers. He attributed the discrepancy “to temporary rotational forces that deploy to meet shifting mission requirements” while maintaining that there is a “core 900 deployers” on longer-term deployments.
Singh reiterated that the US’s mission in Syria is “to ensure the defeat of ISIS.”
The US has carried out frequent strikes against ISIS to prevent the group from exploiting a security vacuum after the fall of the regime.