Among the Turkish targets this week was a basal jointly manned by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the conjugation to decision the Islamic State, which includes American troops, according to Sinam Mohamad, the Syrian Democratic Council Representative to the United States. The onslaught killed 2 members of the SDF who are helping conjugation forces combat ISIS, she wrote connected Twitter.
The airstrikes posed a hazard to American troops and personnel, Central Command spokesperson Col. Joe Buccino said successful an email.
“We reason immoderate subject enactment that destabilizes the concern successful Syria,” Buccino wrote. “These actions endanger our shared goals, including the continued combat against ISIS to guarantee the radical tin ne'er resurge and endanger the region.”
Buccino declined to disclose the determination of the base.
American officials are bracing for escalation successful Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that Turkey will soon motorboat a crushed offensive with tanks and soldiers against the Kurdish militia.
“We person been bearing down connected terrorists for a fewer days with our planes, cannons and guns,” Erdoğan said. “God willing, we volition basal retired each of them arsenic soon arsenic possible, unneurotic with our tanks, our soldiers.”
Since the summer, U.S. officials person warned Turkey not to invade bluish Syria, saying that specified a determination would beryllium catastrophic for the counter-ISIS fight. Top Defense Department officials visited Turkey this twelvemonth to convey that message.
“We proceed to impulse for de-escalation connected each sides and successful our conversations,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Tuesday.
Gen. Mark Milley, Joint Chiefs chair, spoke by telephone with his Turkish counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Yaşar Güler, connected Wednesday, according to a readout by Milley’s spokesperson.
Turkey launched a large-scale aerial battle astir midnight connected Saturday, utilizing 70 combatant jets and drones crossed northbound and eastbound Syria, according to the Rojava Information Center, a quality bureau tally by pro-Syrian Kurd activists. The strikes besides targeted sites astir Duhok, Sulaymaniyah and Shengal successful Iraq.
Altogether, the strikes killed 11 civilians and wounded 9 more, according to the report.
The anticipation of a Turkish crushed violative is reminiscent of Operation Peace Spring successful October 2019, erstwhile Ankara invaded northeastern Syria aft then-President Donald Trump ordered American troops to retreat from the region. More than 70 civilians successful Syria and 20 successful Turkey were killed, and much than 300,000 radical were displaced.
A bid woody reached that period redrew the borders betwixt Kurdish, Turkish and Russian-controlled areas of bluish Syria.
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