Turkey Launches Airstrikes, Artillery Fire In Cross-Border Incursion Into Syria

The government has asked the Kurdish militia to retreat to the east of the Euphrates river within a week, as the group had moved west of the river during a US-backed mission that succeeded in capturing the city of Manbij from the Islamic State group.

Russian Federation and the USA have been informed about the beginning of Turkey’s military operations in Syria, said Fikri Isik, Turkish National Defense Minister, Milliyet newspaper reported on August 25.

The Syrian government in Damascus also slammed Ankara, saying it was violating its sovereignty and aiming to replace Islamic State with other “terrorist organizations”, referring to the rebel groups Turkey supports. The second goal is to prevent Syrian Kurds from taking control of the area.

Hundreds of Syrian rebel fighters said on Wednesday they were also part of the operation in Jarablus, a border town in northern Syria.

Kerry stressed that the Syrian Kurdish forces “were in the process of retreating east of the Euphrates”, the officials said in reference to the Syrian Kurdish forces.

The operation was carried out under the name “Shield of the Euphrates”.

Both the Turkish-rebel alliance and the Kurds seemed to be racing in recent days to move on Jarablus, the last major Islamic State border town.

Turkey, along with theUnited States-led International Coalition Air Forces, launched a joint operation on Wednesday, after a bomb attack killed more than 50 people of a wedding party in Gaziantep on Saturday.

Turkey has been deeply concerned by the advances of the Kurdish forces, fearing they aim to set up a Kurdish entity there.

A senior Turkish official told reporters that operations would continue until “we are convinced” that imminent threats to Turkey are neutralized.

Meanwhile, Syria’s foreign minister arrived in Baghdad on a previously unscheduled visit, the first in more than three years.