Syrian military said on December 28, it has taken control over the Kurdish-town of Manbij in northern Syria, which the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had on December 12, threatened to launch a military operation against the Kurds within few days.
According to news reports, the announcement was fully welcomed by the Kremlin where the spokesperson Dmitry Peskov termed it as a “positive step” that could lead to a stabilized situation.
However, no immediate comments were fetched from Turkey as well the United States, whose troops are patrolling in the town, and also Turkey-backed fighters were based between Manbij town and its adjacent towns.
According to reports, during a televised speech in Ankara on December 12, Erdogan said: “We will begin our operation to free the east of the Euphrates from the separatist organisation within a few days.”
He further said: “Our target is not the American soldiers – it is the terror organisations that are active in the region.”
Turkey views the Kurdish group as a terrorist group. In recent days, Turkey and its allied fighters have been surfaced around and in the Manbij town.
The threat has triggered the US President Donald Trump announcement of its troop’s pullout from Syria.
However, the decision has rattled allies and also the US Syrian Kurdish partners leading them scrambling to search for new allies in order to protect their Kurdish community areas in north Syria.
Syrian government has said it has welcomed the Kurdish militia group returning under the authority, but however, the government officials said they would not consider an autonomous area for the Kurds.
The Syrian military announcement came just after Syrian Kurdish militia had invited the government to take control of Manbij in order to prevent a Turkish attack.
The Syrian military called it a response to calls from Manbij residents and promised to keep their lives safe.