Coalition forces visit Manbij, Kobani amidst Turkish drone attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A delegation of the US-led coalition visited Manbij on Wednesday and Thursday visited Kobani amidst Turkish threats to invade northern Syria.

Since May, Turkey has threatened to invade northeastern Syria. However, both the US and Russia have publicly stood against such plans.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the delegation of the US-led coalition to Manbij included French, US and British officials.

Moreover, a US-British delegation discussed Turkish threats with officials in Kobani on Thursday.

On the same day, a Turkish drone killed a Manbij Military Council member in the Arima area in Manbij’s countryside, SOHR said.

During the presidency of Donald Trump in 2019, the US withdrew troops from all of northeast Syria, including Kobani and Manbij while a Turkish offensive was on Tal Abyad and Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain). Trump was later convinced to keep some troops in the oil-rich provinces of Hasakah and Deir El-Zor.

Moreover, the Russian military took over former coalition bases near Kobani, Manbij and Ain Issa. In addition, in 2019 Syrian troops were deployed to contact points with Turkish-backed forces in a deal backed by Russia.

As a result, the coalition avoided visits to Kobani or Manbij. Although there were reports about the US-led coalition forces visiting the Lafarge base near Ain Issa in February, May and June, but withdrew in July.

“The U.S. is making a political statement to Turkey by going to Kobani and Manbij,” Nicholas Heras, the Deputy Director of the Human Security Unit at New Lines institute in Washington DC, told Kurdistan 24.

“The United States is trying to demonstrate to the SDF that it supports it and to make a statement to Turkey to stop the sabre-rattling.”

Edited by NA