SDF refutes Turkish allegations about its continued presence near border

Kino Gabriel, the official spokesman of the SDF

North-Press Agency On Monday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denounced the allegations of the Turkish Ministry of Defense regarding its presence in the Sere-Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad) areas northwest of Hasakah, and Tal Rifaat in the northern countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria.

In a statement, official SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel described the news and statements made by the official internet pages of the Turkish Ministry of Defense as fabricated.

He added that the official page of the Turkish National Security Council publishes false news and information about the military situation and developments in the occupied areas of Sere-Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), Gire Spi (Tal Abyad), and the ​​Tal Rifaat area.

He stressed that all this information and news is untrue, considering it a miserable attempt to distort the reality of what is happening on the ground in terms of full compliance with the agreements signed by the SDF and the absence of any military presence in the areas mentioned.

Gabriel pointed out that Turkish forces and their armed opposition groups continued to bomb the villages surrounding the areas of operations, which leads to various civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure in those areas.

He called on Turkey to respect the agreements signed with the partners in the region, while stressing the full commitment of the SDF to its obligations towards the people and its partners, and its rejection of such propaganda methods that Turkey utilizes.

Last Saturday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense claimed that 20 members of the SDF had been killed while trying to infiltrate into the area of Operation Peace Spring in northeastern Syria.

It also claimed that 50 members of the SDF were killed in the various areas of control of the Turkish forces and its affiliated armed groups in the areas of Sere-Kaniye, Gire Spi, and the northern countryside of Aleppo.

After the Russian-Turkish agreement last October, the SDF withdrew from the border area at a depth of 30 km from the borders.

On March 23, it also announced its commitment to the United Nations call for a worldwide ceasefire to confront the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On December 2, 2019, 10 people, including eight children, were killed and 13 others were wounded in shelling by Turkish forces and their affiliated armed groups.