SDF commander warns of ISIS plans, calls for U.S. support in Kobani
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – General Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), revealed on Wednesday intelligence about planned attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) targeting detention facilities in northeastern Syria that house its members and their families.
In an interview with the British newspaper The World, Abdi said, “We do have intelligence about ISIS plans to launch or wage attacks over facilities, which contain ISIS [members] or their families who are in prisoner camps, to free them..”
He warned that ongoing Turkish military operations, supported by affiliated armed factions, are straining SDF resources and undermining the security of these detention centers. “We are working hard to keep under control and in a secure position,” he added.
Abdi expressed concern over Turkish threats to Kobani, emphasizing its strategic and symbolic significance. “We started our collaborations and our relationship with the United States from Kobani,” he said. “and from there we started a successful operation led and crowned by the physical defeat of ISIS.”
“And now, this symbolic city is under threat and it is a moral duty for the US to also protect it,” Abdi added, calling on the U.S. government to pressure Turkey to halt its attacks and to push for a permanent ceasefire in the region.
Regarding limited communication with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abdi clarified that it was restricted to “security coordination” and welcomed recent “positive statements” from the administration in Damascus.
He indicated that while the SDF is focused on repelling Turkish aggression in northern Syria, no delegation has been sent to Damascus. Abdi reiterated that the Kurdish people, who played a vital role in the fight against terrorism alongside the Global Coalition, “deserve constitutional rights and must obtain them.”
Abdi concluded by expressing optimism about continued collaboration with the incoming U.S. administration, saying, “We already have good relations and will work to strengthen them further to achieve a more inclusive Syria.”