The pro-Turkish militias, known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), seized 80% of the city of Manbij west of the Euphrates, which until now had been controlled by a coalition led by the Syrian Kurdish militias People’s Protection Units (YPG). ).
The Turkish-backed local militias they do in Northern Syria entered this Sunday at city of Manbijcontrolled the most important city west of the Euphrates until now by a coalition led by Syrian Kurdish militias According to the Turkish agency Anadolu, there are People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The pro-Turkish militias, which have adopted the name Free Syrian Army (FSA) in recent years, have taken over 80% of Manbij (about 100,000 inhabitants), the agency says.
Manbij is mainly populated by Arab Syrians, with Kurdish and other ethnic minorities, and since 2016 has been under the control of militias coordinated by the YPG (loyal to the Syrian Democratic Forces) and opposing the FSA and Turkey.
Ankara has repeatedly demanded that the United States, which supported the YPG in its fight against Islamic State (Daesh), expel Kurdish militias from Manbij, but without receiving a response from Washington.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazlum Abdi on Friday expressed openness to a dialogue process with Turkey and the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) in light of the insurgents’ advance against government forces.
Ankara considers the YPG – affiliated with the Democratic Union Party (PYD) – as a group close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it classifies as a terrorist organization. The SDF is supported by the United States.
This operation comes after the offensive against Syrian President Bashar al Assad, which actually consists of two combinations – ‘Deterring Aggression’, launched by the jihadist group HTS and ‘Dawn of Freedom’, led by Syrian rebels – is the first large-scale operation since the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, respectively, agreed to a ceasefire in 2020.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
