Potential Turkish invasion of north Syria puts US troops at risk – US official
WASHINGTON DC, USA (North Press) – A US State Department spokesman told North Press on Friday that any potential Turkish invasion of the Syrian north puts at risk US forces and the coalition’s campaign against ISIS.
The official said that the US condemns any potential escalation in north Syria expressing his country’s deep concern of the serious consequences of the Turkish threats against the region.
He stressed, “It is crucial for all sides to maintain and respect ceasefire zones to enhance stability in Syria and work toward a political solution to the conflict.”
“We expect Turkey to live up to the October 17, 2019, Joint Statement, including to halt offensive operations in northeast Syria,” he noted.
Following Turkish invasion of the two cities of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US stipulating ceasing all hostilities and the withdrawal of the SDF 32 km away from the Turkish border.
The SDF did withdrew from the border areas according to the agreement, but Turkey continues targeting the area before the eyes of Russian and the US which are the guarantors of the agreement.
The US State Department spokesman said, “the US is deeply concerned about discussions of potential increased military activity in northern Syria, and in particular its impact on the civilian population.”
“Any new offensive would further undermine regional stability and put at risk US forces and the coalition’s campaign against ISIS,” he noted.
Speaking of the military campaigns against the Islamic State Organization (ISIS), he said, “The group [ISIS] retains a significant clandestine presence throughout the country and carries out a campaign of small-scale extortion, recruitment, and assassinations to sustain itself and maintain its notoriety.”
It has also mounted persistent efforts to break ISIS fighters out of detention facilities to bolster its ranks and free individuals with particular operational skills, according to the official.
On January 20, ISIS sleeper cells carried out a series of attacks on al-Sina’a prison in Hasakah, northeast Syria, where thousands of ISIS members are detained, to break their ISIS inmates’ fellows out of the prison, as part of them managed to escape and hid within the residential areas surrounding the prison.
He indicated that “Without the continued operations of the Coalition and the SDF, the group could reconstitute and directly threaten the United States and our partners again.”
A military official for Combined Joint Task Force – Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR) told North Press, “Our partners in Syria have shown great dedication and commitment to defeating Daesh.”
The official stressed that the SDF launches complex operations against ISIS in order to provide and guarantee security and safety of civilians in the region.
Though ISIS is “militarily defeated and unable to hold territory, their ideology and tactics still pose a threat,” the source added.
As a result, “the Coalition continues to work with our Partner Forces to ensure they can maintain Daesh’s enduring defeat,” the source stressed.
Reporting by Hadeel Oueiss