U.S. Issues Warning As Syrian Government Forces Corner Kurdish Fighters In Raqqa (Videos)

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The United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) on January 17 issued a warning to the forces of the Islamist-led Syrian Transitional Government (STG) over their ongoing large-scale offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north of the country.

The battle began in the morning when the STG sent its forces to a wide area to the west of the Euphrates River in the eastern Aleppo countryside. A day earlier the SDF announced its intention to withdraw from the area under an agreement meant to de-escalate tensions with Damascus. However, the deployment of the government began faster than what was agreed on, and without coordination leading to deadly clashes.

Within a few hours, STG forces captured the entire area, which extends from the vicinity of the town of Deir Hafer, passing through the towns of Qawas and Babiri, all the way to the town Maskana on the western bank of Lake Assad.

The government didn’t stop there. It escalated further, designating all areas to the west of the Euphrates as a “closed military zone,” including the city of Tabqa and its surroundings in the southern Raqqa countryside, which were not a part of the original agreement.

“We demand that the leadership of the SDF organization immediately fulfill its declared commitments and withdraw completely to the east of the Euphrates River, and evacuate the city of Tabqa of all military manifestations to enable the civilian administration to carry out its tasks, while ceasing to obstruct any efforts aimed at stabilizing the region; adherence to these understandings is the only way towards ending the escalation,” a military official told the state-run SANA news agency.

The SDF responded by denying that Tabqa was a part of the agreement, saying in a statement that the government “violated recent agreements and betrayed our forces.”

As clashes began in the southern Raqqa countryside, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper, issued a soft warning to Damascus.

“We welcome ongoing efforts by all parties in Syria to prevent escalation and pursue resolution through dialogue. We also urge Syrian government forces to cease any offensive actions in areas between Aleppo and al-Tabqa. Aggressively pursuing ISIS and relentlessly applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners in coordination with U.S. and coalition forces. A Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors is essential to peace and stability across the region,” he said in a statement posted by the command to X.

Fighter jets from the U.S.-led coalition made low passes over STG forces in the eastern Aleppo countryside and the southern Raqqa countryside, and even dropped flares.

These warnings were, however, completely ignored by Damascus, which pressed on with its large-scale offensive, sending its forces towards Tabqa from three directions: the town of Dibsi Afnan, the town of al-Mansurah, and the town of al-Sabkha.

Again, within a few hours, state media reported that STG forces had reached Tabqa. Clashes were indeed reported inside the city, but the SDF said in a statement that it was still under its control.

All of these developments took place amid a lengthy meeting between SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi and Special Envoy Tom Barrack in the Iraqi semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. The meeting, attended by senior Kurdistan officials including the region’s president Nechirvan Barzani, ended with a generic statement calling for “peace” and “dialogue”.

The SDF is attempting to hold onto Tabqa, but with no support from the U.S.-led coalition the city will likely be captured by STG forces very soon.

So far, Damascus has maintained that it will cease fire along the Euphrates. However, the size of forces being amassed along the river from Aleppo, to Raqqa, and even in Deir Ezzor, suggest that the government is planning to cross the river and bring the SDF to its knees.

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