Syria

Turkey’s military operation against Efrin has begun, defense minister says

Turkey's military operation against the Kurdish-controlled Efrin region of Syria has "de facto" begun, defense minister Nurettin Canikli said

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Syria will respond to Turkish “aggression” in Efrin, minister says

The Syrian government will respond to Turkish "aggression" in Efrin and will destroy air targets in Syrian airspace, the deputy foreign minister said

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US backtracks on Syrian ‘border guard’ plan after Turkish threats to attack Efrin

The US will train forces linked to the SDF but will not create a border force, officials said as Turkey threatened to attack Efrin

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Turkey’s national security council says steps to be taken immediately to defeat threats from Syria

Turkey's national security council said steps should be taken "immediately and resolutely" to defeat threats against the country from western Syria

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French wives of ISIS fighters press charges over Syria detention

Wives and children of ISIS fighters captured in Syria filed a legal complaint against French authorities for refusing to repatriate them, lawyers announced

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UK “not involved” in Syrian Border Security Force

Updated January 16 The United Kingdom is not involved in the new Syrian Border Security Force set up by the U.S.-led Coalition against Islamic State and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. “We are not involved in this particular line of Coalition effort. We remain clear that liberated areas must have long-term, legitimate and inclusive local governance and security structures,” a U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told The Defense Post on Tuesday, January 16. On Saturday, CJTF-OIR Public Affairs Officer Colonel Thomas F. Veale told The Defense Post that the Coalition and SDF were working jointly to train the 30,000-strong Syrian border security force. The BSF will be partly composed of veteran fighters and operate under the leadership of the SDF, the backbone of which is made of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkey’s foreign ministry on Sunday said Turkey was not consulted on the establishment of the Border Security Forcce and that Turkey does not know which Coalition members approved the decision. “To attribute such a unilateral step to the whole Coalition is an extremely wrong move that could harm the fight against Daesh,” the ministry said. A spokesperson for the Coalition told The Defense Post that “Turkey is a …

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Australia ends air strike campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria

Australia carried out its final airstrikes in Iraq, concluding its air campaign against ISIS as part of Operation Inherent Resolve

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Erdogan: Turkey will ‘kill’ Syrian border security force

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the U.S.-led Coalition decision to form a Syrian border security force under the leadership of the SDF, and vowed to squash the new force.

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Russian lawmakers outraged over Coalition plans to build a Syrian border security force

Russian politicians said Moscow will take steps in response to U.S.-led Coalition plans to build a Syrian border security force with the SDF

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Turkey slams “unacceptable” Coalition plan to build Syrian Border Security Force

Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin heavily criticised the United States and the Coalition, saying that the Syrian Border Security Force is "legitimizing the PKK."

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