The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are “looking at the possibility of sending more military forces to Afrin,” according to the SDF’s spokesman Kino Gabriel.
The spokesman also called on the international community to take measures to end the Turkish operation against Kurdish militias in the area.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) launched a military opeartion in Afrin on January 20. Since then, the TAF and its allies from the Free Syrian Army had made a seires of advances and captured multiple positions from YPG/YPJ. Ankara sees YPG and YPJ as terrorist groups linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is involved in an active insurgency campaign against the Turkish state.
The Kurdish-dominated SDF [YPG and YPJ are its core] see the Turkish operation in Afrin as a direct threat to its separatist intentions. This is why the group sent reinforcements to Afrin area ahead of the start of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch.
Of course, they can only send reinforcements to Afrin if they ask Assad nicely.
Correct. On the other hand, he allowed earlier reinforcements and would dearly love to see TSK huniliated by not being able to take the region rapidly and only then with huge lossess.
If the YPG/SDF will be able to inflict large lossess on TFSA, he would be able to take Idlib much easier when a lot of islamists there are fighting in the north. The Aleppo scenario of late 2016.
He might even throw in some equipment too, as encouragement one might say.
Perhaps they already have:
“According to residents from the government-held town of Al-Zahra’a in northern Aleppo, Kurdish reinforcements are still moving through government lines to reach the Afrin Canton”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/kurdish-reinforcements-still-moving-government-lines-afrin/
already allowed
Beautiful! I can’t imagine a better scenario than Turks and Kurds killing each other. Miracles DO happen!
Go Assad!!!
Yeah consider sending reinforcements after the attack has already begun and the Turks have broken through your defence that would surely save you the war…..
Fucking clowns….
If at this point you are only “looking at the possibility of sending more military forces to Afrin,”, it means most likely you won’t do it. Such an announcement is not going to make Turkey pause.
Well reinforcements have already passed through SAA territory on their way Ifrin. The SDF are looking at sending more if those they haven’t sent and those preparing to leave arrive and alter the course.
I see that, from the Aleppo area. Better hurry.
Believe the first group sent days ago was 900, and subsequent groups similar and having heavy weapons arriving too. So far the Baysra mountains are captured and the back forth that was Shenkal was secured. Find one can never trust Turkish media surprisingly they present the story as ISIS/Daesh do.
Noticed that also. Strange goings on. Turkey has coordinated their actions with both the Russians and the Americans and I’m not exactly sure what the end game is. Erdogan is saying his troops will “soon” finalize the operation in Syria’s Afrin??? and his PM saying the operation will entail four phases.
http://tass.com/world/986147
http://tass.com/world/986133
Doesn’t appear that Turkey has the experience in fighting these types of skirmishes. Will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
Turkey is trying to save the NATO proxies of Al Qaeda/ISIS even the FSA are part of this cabal.
Best case scenario – Kurds and Turks get bogged down in WW1 stile trench warfare. Assad and Russia in turn supply both sides until these bleed each other dry. Turks concentrate on Afrin and put supplying Idlib rats on back burner. SAA liberates Syrian sovereign territory once it takes care of Idlib. A dream? Maybe! But what a dream…
What? The Kurds in Afrin ran off the rebel groups and assisted the SAA in regaining control of Aleppo along with land around it. The Syrian Kurds and Druze are taking a wait & see position as this war winds down. The Druze are lucky since nobody is bothering them. The Kurds have to deal with ISIS, opposition groups and now the Turks.
Wait and see? Their alliance with the USA, preparing to build a seperate defacto state in east Syria, to secure the american demand for more unlawfull seized ground for more military bases, just to stay and never leave after their try of changing the regime has failed.
I agree that the kurds are not the enemy of the syrian state, but they allow the US to play them in their game, that was a big mistake.
Would you agree my friend?
No. The US has been providing the Kurds with assistance to drive out ISIS and other Islamic extremists because Assad was uncapable of doing that and still won’t be able to for quite some time. I seriously doubt if anyone is interested in having a state of their own in Eastern Syria. Isn’t much there except some small gas fields and several large fields of a very low grade sour heavy crude (4% sulfur, 50% waste asphalt, little gasoline and lubricating oils, shitload of kerosene and naptha). Before the fighting started 25% of Syria’s natural gas production was injected into those wells to force the crap out. Those fields have been out of production for awhile due to Coalition bombing of the NG pumping stations and collection terminals (tank farms). All that will be costly to repair plus there’s no market for that crude nor any way to get it out since the pipeline runs to the coast.
Kurdistan to exist is surrounded by (landlocked) nation states that consider them terrorist and have already declared no new Israel in the ME and that includes a proxy state of Kurdistan. Kurdistan would need a Mediterranean coast opening, that is the value in question of the NW. There will be no Rojava in Afrin Syria under any circumstances.
Correct. Imo the true value of the region is its agriculture and dams/electricity/irrigation systems. Small industry could also be valuable.
US and local paid Kurdish lackeys are promising Afrin’s Kurds independent Rojava. And that my friend is both a lie and a geopolitical impossibility as we have seen last year in Iraq. US knows that, Kurdish “leaders” know that and most people following Syrian tragedy know that. So why did Rex Tillerson pompously announced creation of semi independent Kurdish led “alternative Syria” with 30.000 US armed “border guards”? Well you can hardly keep US troops illegally in north Syria, on a samaritan intervention/IS fighting mission without ISIL and some kind of war as a cover. So you place gullible Kurds in front of Turkish tanks and preach refrain while supporting “legitimate Turkish security concerns in Afrin” on one hand and arming Kurds on the other. I’m afraid that it will take few thousand dead before Kurds understand they are being played by both their “US friends” and their “leaders”…
I sure that Assad is glad that the US is writing SDF paychecks and providing a wide range of assistance since he can’t nor would be able to get the funds from Iran without giving up more of the store. Russia doesn’t mind it either since they’re already spending too much to ensure keeping control of their naval bases. The two are obligated to badmouth the US to appease the Arab Street and Iranians.
Afrin Kurds haven’t had ISIS to deal with since Aleppo was liberated , and they did help with that , but then foolishly refused permission for the SAA to enter . At that moment they became traitors to Syria . The Druze on the other hand are loyal and helping SAA along the southern border .
dont dream
The Kurds in Afrin will give up their dream and go back under Damascus administration, long story short, the only reason the supply route is open through Aleppo is because they sort of helped SAA when Nubl and Al-Zahra were under siege.
no they will not. just a word. afrin is nothing. expendable. they got everything they want Eastern Euphrates.
We both now the turds are not a country and have occupied Syrian oil fields and land
There calling for international communities help now
Russia would have got them a deal but they are greedy and are going to die
If you think that they will be allowed to create a US/Israel puppet state insyde Syria than let me dissapoint you :) For those who like to dream – Erdogan is here to teach some loyalty lessons. Surely SDF on Eastern bank of Euphrates is also in the Turkey’s target list. I’ll say it again – give up grabbed lands to legitimate government of your homestate Syria and than enjoy support from SAA and it’s allies Russia and Iran. Hoping that US will suddenly change and stop betraing their “allies” (in reality – lapdogs) only shows stupidity of those Kurds that hope that they can loot Syria under cover of uncle Sam.
I’ll say it again – give up grabbed lands to legitimate government of your homestate
you, ruskie bastard, you should agitate not here, bat in your homeland moldavia between dnester rats.
you are a little pathetic shlomo, why don’t you use arguments instead of using foul language?
english is stupid language
tudor miron is soldier of illegal podnyester republic in moldavia. he es soldier of moscows interests. he does against moldavia the same thing, what hates at kurds.
a very simplified look on rojava, and not true
Oh they want international communities help now because the yanks won’t back them…
U fucked up should have joined a real coalition of the winning not the US who have no intention of dying for you fools
Give Putin a call and fast
russian help ….
No SAA on the ground and that would mean that Turkey would have to halt if they don’t the world would see the illegitimacy of the NATO coalition. Just think at how the Russians played this in order to destroy the coalition of the handful of the willing.
the can send all the want the don’t stand a chance, no heavy weapons except the few the took from ISIS and no air support.
send from where?no corridor for that…..
though saa controlled territory
will SAA let them you think?Turkey is supposed to be an ally of Russia in SYria…..and ‘maybe’ an ally of SAA…..it depends…..they hate Assad, and Assad hates them back…..but they sit on the same table because of Russia……so maybe you are right….SAA will have to gain from Kurds fighting FSA-Turkey….on the other hand…is it worth it for the Kurds?they have no interest in that area….i think they dont have Kurds there…civilians….so ….what will their strategy be?a true puzzle
already happening. saa is against russias deals with iran and turkey.
Now the SAA and its allies should grab some popcorn and enjoy the fireworks which are going to happen in Afrin while allowing some SDF fighters to go to that meat grinder.
Yet still, if the SDF and Turkey decide to team up against the SAA, this would be a very bad situation for the SAA.
SDF and Turkey will never join hatred is too strong for one another.
Please do, that will be the excuse the Turks need to take Raqqa and the surrounding districts, will force the US out of Syria and the Kurds will be subdued and begging for mercy. A likely scenario.
A wishfull scenario but not that likely. We shall see how the FSA does in afrin, they are not motivated fighters for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVZCIel_2Xw …at least Erdogan is literally right by saying PKK and SDF are the same.