The ongoing operation in Syria around the city of Jarablus that started August 24th is a lot different from other battles fought against the islamist terror army. Reportedly, not one shot was fired in Jarablus in the “cleansing operation”, instead the IS militants left their positions prior to the arrival of the Turkish forces. In contrast, the bloody battle over Manbij, located some 30 kilometers from Jarablus, has been raging for over three moths, and only recently the US supported Kurdish forces have taken control of the city.
One soldier has died and three were wounded in the operation, but this was at the hands of the Kurdish forces, who fired a rocket at a Turkish tank. The Kurds refuse to abandon their positions, hard won from the islamists, and retreat east of the Euphrates river as demanded by Turkey.
Turkish military have been shelling US-backed Kurdish YPG militia with artillery fire to force them to withdraw.
At the beginning of the operation, US said it wouldn’t prioritize Kurds over alliance with Ankara.
– They cannot, will not and under no circumstances get American support if they do not keep that commitment [to retreat east of Euphrates river]. Period, Biden said at a joint news conference with Turkish PM Binali Yildirim at August 24th.
On August 29th however the US said the clashes between Turkish forces and opposition groups in northern Syria are “unacceptable”. This prompted an angry response from Ankara on August 30th, with the presidential palace spokesman Ibrahim Kalin saying: “The US must revise its policy of supporting Kurdish forces”.
