EXCLUSIVE: US troops coordinate with Kurdish-led SDF in Syria

American troops emerged coordinating with the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the military operation launched on Tuesday in the northern countryside of Raqqa.

AIN ISSA, Syria (Kurdistan24) – On Thursday, American troops emerged in coordination with the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the military operation launched on Tuesday in the northern countryside of Raqqa, the Islamic State (IS) terror group’s de facto capital in northern Syria.

A Kurdistan24 reporter embedded with the SDF captured videos showing American special operations troops wearing the insignia of the Syrian Kurdish forces of both People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units (known in Kurdish as YPG and YPJ respectively) in an apparent show of support.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, Gabar, an American soldier, said that they are doing the same job as the SDF and carrying out the same tasks.

“Since Syrian democratic Forces is a union that contains people of different origins, there is no difference between the foreign and local fighters,” he said.

“We are integrating with the SDF fighters and doing the same job on the ground,” Gabar said.

Answering a question about the extent of coordination between the American troops and the US-led coalition airstrikes, Gabar said that the airstrikes are greatly benefiting and  facilitating the advancement of the troops on the ground.

There have already been several reports about the deployment of US troops to Syria over the past few months, but no official statement confirmed them.

The officials in the Kurdish administration northern Syria also rejected the reports that revealed the deployment of American forces in Syria.

However, America's Department of State announced in the daily press briefing of May 26 that the US forces will be present in the operation to liberate northern Raqqa.

“We acknowledged several weeks ago that Special Operations Forces would be present in northern Syria in the capacity of the advise-and-assist role. We have clearly laid out that they’re playing on the battlefield in coordination with the SDF,” said Mark Toner, the US State Department spokesperson.  

 

Reporting by Hisham Arafat

Editing by Ava Homa

(Ekrem Salih captured the videos and conducted the interviews in northern Raqqa)