QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) suspension of operations with the US-led Global Coalition against Islamic State Organization (ISIS) due to being preoccupied with Turkish threats and shelling puts the area in particular and the entire world in general at risk.
On Wednesday, the SDF announced suspending its mission against the ISIS due to the latest Turkish escalation in the SDF-held areas.
Ferhad Shami, head of the SDF Media Center, quoted the forces’ Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, as saying, “Due to our forces’ preoccupation with addressing the Turkish occupation, they cannot continue their mission of pursuing ISIS cells. Currently, we’re forced to be preoccupied with confronting Turkish aggression.”
Since November 20, Turkish forces have carried out hundreds areal and ground attacks along the border strip north and northeast Syria.
On April 23, the SDF Commander in Chief said, “The targeting of Kobani and shelling of innocent civilians hinder anti-ISIS operations, & killings of administrative figures by drones are provocations that threaten security & peace & hinder anti-ISIS operations.”
Former official of the US Department of Defense, Michael Rubin, said, in an exclusive interview with North Press, that until the US recognizes that “Turkey shelters and provides safe-haven for ISIS in its territory, ISIS will survive.”
“The simple fact is Turkey protects ISIS in the same way that Pakistan protects al-Qaeda,” he added.
Though the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS stressed on October 17, which marks the date when the city of Raqqa was liberated from ISIS, they would continue fighting the organization with their local partners in Syria, it has not lasted for long for Turkey to start targeting and threatening with a military ground offensive against the area, pushing the SDF to suspend its operations against ISIS.
In July, Abdi said that one of goals that Turkey seeks through threatening to invade the region is to hit efforts by the SDF and the US-led Global Coalition against terrorism, stressing its efforts against terrorism will be foiled.
The SDF Commander in Chief noted at the time that it is hard for the SDF to battle on two frontlines (against ISIS and Turkey) at the same time.
In the view of the ongoing Turkish assaults on north and northeastern Syria, Abdi called on Wednesday on the Turkish President Joe Biden to prevent the Turkish potential ground offensive against northeast Syria from occurring.
He added in an interview with POLITICO that the potential Turkish operation will impede progress achieved in the fight against ISIS and complicate the crisis in Syria further.
It also gives ISIS a chance to “regroup and re-surge,” according to Abdi.
Turkey warplanes targeted an area near a detention center in the city of Qamishli, northeast Syria, where some of 500 ISIS militants are held.
The Turkish airstrikes also hit an area nearby Hawl Camp, known as “ticking bomb,” east of Hasakah which holds about 60.000 ISIS family members.
As a result of the attack six guards of the SDF were killed and a group of ISIS family members managed to flee.
The return of ISIS practices in northeastern Syria puts the area in particular and the entire world in general at risk in term of their ability to have access into their countries of origin, posing real threat on these countries.