Syrian forces move towards Turkey border

Beirut/Ankara, October 14 

Russia-backed Syrian forces wasted no time in taking advantage of an abrupt US retreat from Syria on Monday, deploying deep inside Kurdish-held territory south of the Turkish frontier less than 24 hours after Washington announced a full withdrawal.

Washington’s Kurdish former allies said they invited the government troops as an “emergency measure” to help fend off an assault by Turkey, launched last week with “a green light” from President Donald Trump that the Kurds describe as a betrayal.

Under their deal with Kurds, the government forces are poised to move into border areas from the town of Manbij in the west to Derik.

Syrian state media reported that troops had already entered Tel Tamer, a town on the strategically important M4 highway that runs east-west around 30 km south of the frontier with Turkey.

“After the US abandoned the region and gave the green light for the Turkish attack, we were forced to explore another option, which is talks with Damascus and Moscow to thwart Turkish attacks,” senior Kurdish official Badran Jia Kurd said.

 He  described new arrangement with Assad as a “preliminary military agreement”, and said political aspects would be discussed later.  Another Kurd politician Aldar Xelil termed the pact “an emergency measure”. — Reuters