US-led coalition reaffirms commitment to SDF following Turkish attacks
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Maj. Gen. John Brennan, the commander of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), said Tuesday that they denounced the killing of civilians by any given armed group, and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting and assisting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
CJTF-OIR is the military component of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which started in both Iraq and Syria in August 2016.
This came in a statement published by CJTF-OIR, after members of the Coalition met with community leaders in the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria.
The statement said the coalition’s members discussed with the community leaders the prevailing concerns among the people of northeast Syria about recent military activity in the region.
On Tuesday, a demonstration took place in front of the coalition base in the Guweiran neighborhood in Hasakah, to protest the of the coalition’s silence regarding the recent Turkish attacks that caused many civilian casualties.
The major general called on all partners to focus on countering ISIS and condemned actions by third party actors who attempt to disrupt these efforts and threaten the security of the civilian population.
“We denounce the killing of civilians by any and all armed groups,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Brennan stressed the on the “coalition’s commitment to advising, assisting, and enabling regional partners to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS in the region,” the statement said.
He noted that although ISIS has diminished, it remains “a threat to the people of Syria and the greater region.”
Brennan added that CJTF-OIR would continue the constant pressure on the terrorist organization’s remnants “so they cannot reconstitute.”
CJTF-OIR officials necessitated the issue of addressing regional crises, and “affirmed the coalition’s commitment to sustain both military and civil efforts to address these crises.”