The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the country's Kurdish-led militia allied with the United States, said in an interview on Wednesday that his forces have increased their efforts against Islamic State in light of continued attacks against the Kurds. He said it had stopped. by Turkish proxy forces.
The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) is a predominantly Sunni Arab militia formerly known as the Free Syrian Army and an affiliate of the unrelated Sunni militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Shortly after, HTS, which launched a campaign called “Dawn of Freedom” in late November, launched a surprise operation against the regime of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. HTS is an offshoot of Al Qaeda and has ties to the Islamic State, a US-designated terrorist organization. The FBI is offering a $10 reward for information leading to the arrest of leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
HTS successfully overthrew Assad and forced the dictator to flee to Russia on Saturday. Jolani is currently in charge of the “transition” from the Iranian-backed Assad regime, and despite its extensive past as a brutal jihadist terrorist organization, has led HTS to become a moderate government seeking to build an “inclusive” government. Your organization is rebranding.
HTS' victory in Damascus did nothing to stop the SNA's SDF offensive, but the operation was crucial to destroying the Islamic State's “caliphate” north of Raqqa, Syria. . Reports this week said Turkish proxy forces had driven the SDF out of the Kurdish-held city of Manbij and from Deir Ezzor, which the SDF had occupied for several days in Assad's absence. The SNA operation reportedly displaced at least 120,000 people and sparked international alarm that jihadists may take part in ethnic cleansing operations against Kurdish civilians.
In addition to human rights concerns, SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi has suggested that SNA advances are already hampering efforts to prevent the Islamic State from re-establishing its “caliphate.”
“ISIS is currently gaining strength in the Syrian desert. Previously, they were in remote areas and hiding, but now they are not facing any problems with other groups and are not involved in the conflict. Because they don't do that, they can move more freely,” Abdi said. interview British broadcaster Sky News reported on Wednesday. “Their activities have also increased in areas under our control. Just a few days ago, three members of the internal security forces were killed in an ISIS operation near al-Hasakah.”
Mr Abdi confirmed that the SDF's joint operations with the US to contain the Islamic State group were now “suspended” and said he had not ordered an end to the operation and that the SDF had simply stopped operations against ISIS. He said it wasn't by choice.
“This is not a decision but rather a military reality, as coalition forces are also distracted by the ongoing conflict. We therefore emphasize that joint operations will continue to be suspended if these attacks continue.” “I do,” he explained.
In addition to fighting ISIS cells, the SDF maintains several prison facilities housing Islamic State jihadists across Syria. Abdi warned that continued attacks by Turkish proxy forces could lead to the release of these terrorists.
“In general, when we focus on protecting civilians and communities, the effectiveness of our military and the coalition against ISIS decreases as efforts are directed toward the ongoing conflict,” he said. “This is why I say that if the fighting continues and intensifies, it will play into the hands of ISIS.”
“Frankly, there is currently a serious threat to the security of these detention centers,” Abdi warned.
Turkey is a NATO ally, which complicates relations with the United States in Syria. President Joe Biden's administration has done little to condemn the campaign against the SNA and has provided little support for the Kurds. Army Gen. Eric Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), visited SDF leaders in northern Syria on Tuesday in a clear show of support. However, the Pentagon dismissed the threat that the SNA would release ISIS prisoners, insisting that the SNA continued to maintain an “excellent” relationship with Turkey throughout the conflict. Briefing session on wednesday.
“There is no change to our partnership with the SDF in ensuring the defeat of ISIS,” Defense Department Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters on the same day. “There are no changes to our operations or our partnership with the Self-Defense Forces. We will continue to work with them. Our Central Command commander, General Kurilla, was in fact engaged with response forces in the region. So that work is ongoing.”
Asked what the United States was doing to protect its allies' self-defense forces, Singh said the Pentagon was “continuing the dialogue.”
“We will continue to engage with the Self-Defense Forces. Of course, we have ways to resolve the conflict,” she added.
In the absence of a commitment to protect the SDF from Turkish-backed forces, the SDF appears to be trying to improve relations with HTS. Kurdish officials in Syrian Kurdistan, which Kurds call Rojava, flying On Thursday, the Syrian rebel flag was flown instead of the standard flag under President Bashar al-Assad. SDF commander Abdi said shortly before HTS entered Damascus that there was no conflict with HTS forces.
“We are in contact with Tahrir al-Sham through many channels, especially regarding the protection of the people of Aleppo,” Abdi said at a press conference on Friday, according to Kurdish media. I don't think I've ever had a conflict with them. Ludo.
“A new situation is emerging on the ground. We know that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has captured many areas from the Syrian regime,” Abdi continued. “What we are concerned about is that our region in northeast Syria should not be targeted. If we are attacked, we will defend ourselves.”
