US urges de-escalation following Turkey’s assault on Syrian Kurdish-led forces

QAMISHLO (Kurdistan 24) – The United States has been in contact with Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) regarding Ankara’s announcement of an offensive on the SDF-held region in northeastern Syria, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Robertson told Russia’s government-owned Sputnik news agency on Tuesday.

“We are aware of Turkish statements about a planned offensive into northeastern Syria and have been in touch with Turkey and the SDF to de-escalate the situation,” he said.

Robertson’s statement came after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Tuesday to crush Kurdish fighters east of the Euphrates River in Syria, announcing a major military operation against US allies in an area where Washington supports them with troops on the ground.

Robertson stressed that Turkey is a NATO ally and a key partner in the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS).

“We encourage all parties to avoid escalation and focus on the most important task of defeating IS,” he added.

Robertson also confirmed the SDF remains a committed partner of the United States in the in the anti-IS fight.

“The campaign against IS is not over, and the fight remains very difficult,” he said.

“We are working closely with the SDF, who are in the midst of offensive operations against IS in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. The SDF remains a committed partner against IS.”

Over the last few days, Turkish border security guards have bombarded several points in the northeast Syrian region belonging to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which is the SDF’s leading component.

On Sunday, the Turkish military also shelled villages west of Kobani and towns close to Manbij. The assault killed one conscript and injured one woman.

In another shelling attack by Turkish forces on the Syrian border town of Tal Abyad, military sources told Kurdistan 24 that one Kurdish fighter lost his life and another was injured.

Editing by Nadia Riva