A senior Kurdish official in the northern Syrian city of Kobani confirmed on Wednesday evening that Syrian government forces had just arrived to counter a Turkish assault on the embattled city as Ankara continues a week-long incursion over its southern border against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“Yes, now before 10 minutes, the Syrian army has entered Kobani and went towards the border,” Shahin Janib Ali, a member of the legislative council of the city, told Kurdistan 24.
The Syrian Kurdish leadership reached a deal on Sunday with Damascus for the national army to step in following an announcement by US President Donald Trump that he was withdrawing all American troops from Syria.
“Yes, now before 10 minutes, the Syrian army has entered Kobani and went towards the border,” Shahin Janib Ali, a member of the legislative council of the city, told Kurdistan 24.
The Syrian Kurdish leadership reached a deal on Sunday with Damascus for the national army to step in following an announcement by US President Donald Trump that he was withdrawing all American troops from Syria.
The North Press agency reported that the first batch of Syrian government forces traveled to the city on five buses and that civilians remaining in Kobani welcomed the news. Many had already fled to nearby villages or southwest to the city of Manbij in anticipation of a full-scale attack.
“They were around 500 that went to secure the border,” Ali continued.
“Since Turkey started its operation, many people have been displaced,” she said. “But when SDF reached to an agreement with the regime, Kobani became better, safer, and people came back. Now it’s safe and there is nothing.”
“Undoubtedly, people of Kobani prefer the Syrian army over these armed groups because the Syrian army is Syrian and we never called for separation. We'd rather be with the unity of Syrian soil. Undoubtedly, Kobani will prefer [the] Syrian army. We will never accept the people of Kobani to live under the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries.”
“They were around 500 that went to secure the border,” Ali continued.
“Since Turkey started its operation, many people have been displaced,” she said. “But when SDF reached to an agreement with the regime, Kobani became better, safer, and people came back. Now it’s safe and there is nothing.”
“Undoubtedly, people of Kobani prefer the Syrian army over these armed groups because the Syrian army is Syrian and we never called for separation. We'd rather be with the unity of Syrian soil. Undoubtedly, Kobani will prefer [the] Syrian army. We will never accept the people of Kobani to live under the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries.”
A civilian from Kobani, a city famous for resisting an Islamic State takeover for months in 2014, told Kurdistan 24, “The regime is better than these mercenaries. Mercenaries kill, humiliate, torture, impose ransoms, and sell people. The regime doesn’t kill us.”
“Erdogan and his backed groups are ISIS. Why [would] we sacrifice 11,000 martyrs [and then] let Turkish mercenaries enter here?”
“We will not allow our martyrs’ blood to go to waste. We called the regime here via an agreement to prevent what happened to our people in Afrin,” he said, referring to the Turkish occupation of another prominent Kurdish-majority city.
According to the United Nations and multiple human rights organizations, Turkish-backed rebels have been committing multiple and sustained human rights abuses in the Afrin region since taking control in March 2018.
“Erdogan and his backed groups are ISIS. Why [would] we sacrifice 11,000 martyrs [and then] let Turkish mercenaries enter here?”
“We will not allow our martyrs’ blood to go to waste. We called the regime here via an agreement to prevent what happened to our people in Afrin,” he said, referring to the Turkish occupation of another prominent Kurdish-majority city.
According to the United Nations and multiple human rights organizations, Turkish-backed rebels have been committing multiple and sustained human rights abuses in the Afrin region since taking control in March 2018.
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