US-backed forces in Syria deny alleged ceasefire with Islamic State

DEIR AL-ZOR, Syria (Kurdistan 24) – The US-backed Syrian Kurdish-Arab alliance forces on Tuesday denied the news circulated on social media about an alleged ceasefire with the Islamic State (IS).

Mustafa Bali, a spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said in an online statement they continue to fight terrorism and will never stop until it is ended in Syria.  

“We [SDF] deny all allegations and lies spread by those who try to distort the victories of Syrian Democratic Forces by fabricating lies to raise the morale of the collapsed terrorists and to abuse us,” he said.

Social media users on Tuesday circulated a document regarding cease-fire agreement between the SDF and IS.

The document claimed the US military shall stop bombing IS in Syria, in return for not carrying out attacks in the United States, provided that this agreement takes effect for six months.

The alleged agreement stated that in case the US and SDF stop bombing IS, the latter will stop the military operations against the SDF as well.

The SDF spokesperson Bali described the items included in the document as “ridiculous”.

The SDF, of which the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) is a leading component, ousted IS from Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital in Syria, and launched an offensive on Deir al-Zor Province in September and, so far, has seized most areas of the northern Euphrates River from IS.

The US-backed SDF seized the largest oil fields in eastern Syria, including Omar and Tanak oil fields, raising concerns for the Syrian government forces, which are backed by Russia and Iran.

Turkey, on the other hand, is infuriated by Washington’s support for the SDF and their leading component, the YPG whom they see as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has fought Turkey for decades over larger Kurdish rights.

Editing  by Sam A.