US Army Sends Fresh Military Convoy to Northeastern Syria amid Turkey’s Threats

By Editor On Oct 17, 2018

The US-led coalition dispatched a fresh convoy of military vehicles to the town of Manbij in Northeastern Syria to counter Ankara’s threats about implementing the Manbij roadmap.

The US Army sent a convoy, including several vehicles, to Manbij from its base in Ein Issa in Northern Raqqa, the sources said, adding that the Manbij Military Council has kept its gunmen on alert and banned traffick of motorcycles in the region after tensions intensified in the town in recent days.

The US army sent the convoy to Manbij after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened that if the US army does not adhere to its commitments to remove the YPG from its positions in Manbij in a 90-day deadline, the Ankara forces will launch military operation in the region.

In a relevant development earlier this month, the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) were preparing for a major showdown with the Turkish military in Northeastern Aleppo.

According to local activists, the YPG was seen raising trenches and building new positions in Western Manbij amid reports of a possible military operation by the Turkish Army.

Furthermore, the YPG brought in reinforcements in order to strengthen their forces around Manbij.

The Turkey’s recent comments about the presence of Kurdish fighters inside Manbij raised a lot of red flags for the YPG, as it appears Ankara was preparing to launch a new operation to expel the group from the city.

While the US currently has a military presence in Manbij, it appears Turkey is not willing to budge; they are demanding the complete withdrawal of the YPG or else they will attack.

FARS