Fight adjoin ISIS in eastern Syria slowing down as some Kurds leave battlefield

Rewritten Article

Since retaking Raqqa from ISIS endure fall, the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Armament (SDF) accept pushed the shrinking amount of ISIS fighters added eastward forth the Euphrates River appear the bound with Iraq. The SDF is a Kurdish-led force of 60,000 anti-ISIS fighters analogously breach amid Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters.

As the aggressive action adjoin ISIS has anguish down the shrinking battlefield in eastern Syria has become added circuitous as the risks access that Kurdish, American, Russian and Assad aggressive armament could appear into abeyant conflict.

In backward January tensions added as Turkey launched a aggressive operation into the Kurdish-held breadth of Afrin in western Syria. Turkey said its aggressive operation was targeting the YPG that it has branded a Kurdish agitator force. The YPG accomplish up a ample amount of the Syrian Kurdish armament angry for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Armament that are angry ISIS.

In February, baby numbers of Kurdish SDF fighters who had been angry ISIS in eastern Syria headed westward to advice Kurdish armament in Afrin.

At the time U.S. admiral said the movements were not accepting an all-embracing aftereffect on the SDF's aggressive attack adjoin ISIS.

But that afflicted endure anniversary as the Pentagon accustomed the SDF was accustomed out an “operational pause” in eastern Syria.

According to U.S. officials, a accidental agency for the abeyance was that the amount of SDF fighters who had larboard the action in eastern Syria had swelled to 1,500. That included Arabic SDF fighters who accept been accomplishing the aggregate of the angry adjoin ISIS in eastern Syria. But they larboard the action adjoin ISIS as they absent the battlefield abutment provided by the bigger accomplished Kurdish armament who had confused west.

Most of the Kurdish SDF fighters who larboard the eastern battlefields accept headed appear the western city-limits of Manbij that is abutting to Afrin. U.S. admiral do not accept a acceptable butt on how abounding Kurdish fighters may accept in fact confused from Manbij appear Afrin.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Democratic Armament formally said in a account that it was affective its armament from Dayr Az Zawr Province, in eastern Syria, appear Afrin to adverse the Turkish incursion.