- Title: Turkey-backed Syrian rebels fight Kurdish militia
- Date: 12th October 2019
- Summary: NEAR TEL ABYAD, SYRIA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TURKISH-BACKED REBELS RUNNING TO ARMOURED VEHICLES VARIOUS OF REBELS GETTING INTO ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER (APC) REBELS SEATED IN APC / LID BEING CLOSED VARIOUS OF ARMOURED VEHICLES DRIVING AWAY REBEL PLACING FREE SYRIAN ARMY FLAG ON ARMOURED VEHICLE ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY REBEL SPEAKING ON RADIO VARIOUS OF REBELS DRIVING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNNAMED REBEL COMMANDER, SAYING: (Complete translation to follow) "The 3rd Corps of the national army liberated Durubiya village on the western side of Tel Abyad, defeating the separatist PKK gangs, libertating our people from the PKK gangs." ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY REBELS CARRYING A WOUNDED REBEL VARIOUS ENTRANCE OF A TUNNEL
- Embargoed: 26th October 2019 17:30
- Keywords: Syria Turkey military operation into northern Syria Syrian Kurds YPG Turkey backed rebels wounded rebel
- Location: NEAR TEL ABYAD, SYRIA
- City: NEAR TEL ABYAD, SYRIA
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0SINNR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Turkish-backed Syrian rebels advanced towards the border town of Tel Abyad on Saturday (October 12) as Turkey's offensive against a Kurdish militia in the region entered its fourth day.
The United States has ramped up its efforts to persuade Ankara to halt the offensive against the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG forces, saying Ankara was causing "great harm" to ties and could face sanctions.
Turkey launched its incursion after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Sunday with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces.
The Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said earlier they had cut the road which connects Ras al Ain and Tel Abyad, one of the main targets of the operation, located some 120 km (75 miles) to the west. They said 18 villages were captured since the operation began.
Officials with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Khalil Arshawi, Omer Berberoglu) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
