YPG

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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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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Coalition retraining 15,000 veteran SDF fighters to serve as Syrian border force

The US-led Coalition against ISIS and Syrian Democratic Forces are training a 30,000-strong Syrian border security force made of Kurds and Arabs

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Syria: Erdogan warns of Turkey military operation in Efrin and Manbij ‘in about a week’

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly signalled an imminent military operation against Manbij and Efrin in northern Syria

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Captured French militant claims ISIS fighters in Syria aim to reach Europe through Turkey

Captured French foreign fighter Thomas Barnouin told the YPG that ISIS is trying to reach Europe through Turkey to carry out attacks

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YPG declares eastern Deir Ezzor free of ISIS at press conference with Russian officials

The mainly Kurdish Syrian YPG declared eastern Deir Ezzor free from Islamic State at a press conference with Russian military officials

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US reviewing military support provided to SDF – Pentagon

The U.S. Department of Defense is reviewing military support provided to the Syrian Democratic Forces, including "Kurdish elements of the SDF"

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Erdogan says Turkey must “cleanse” mainly Kurdish PYD and YPG from Syria’s Efrin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the mainly Kurdish Efrin canton must be cleansed of the PYD and YPG, speaking ahead of planned multilateral meetings on Syria next week

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Turkey says military ready for operation against Efrin, Syria

Turkey's presidential spokesperson said plans are in place for military operation against Efrin canton in Syria and that the army could move at any time.

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