- Title: Blasts rock Syria's Ras al Ain
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: RAS AL AIN, SYRIA (AS FILMED FROM CEYLANPINAR, TURKEY) (OCTOBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLUMES OF SMOKE RISING OVER BUILDINGS VEHICLE DRIVING BEHIND RISING PLUME OF SMOKE LARGE COLUMN OF DARK SMOKE RISING OVER BUILDINGS VARIOUS OF PLUMES OF SMOKE RISING OVER BUILDINGS
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 09:23
- Keywords: Syria Turkey Middle East conflict border blasts explosions
- Location: RAS AL AIN, SYRIA (AS FILMED FROM CEYLANPINAR, TURKEY)
- City: RAS AL AIN, SYRIA (AS FILMED FROM CEYLANPINAR, TURKEY)
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1CKOCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Columns of smoke erupted above Syria's Ras al Ain on Wednesday (October 16) as blasts rocked the border town.
Turkey vowed to press ahead with its offensive in northern Syria on Tuesday (October 15) despite U.S. sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by U.S. forces.
U.S. President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to withhold protection from Syria's Kurds after a phone call with Erdogan a week ago swiftly upended five years of U.S. policy on Syria.
As well as clearing the way for the Turkish incursion, the U.S. withdrawal gives a free hand to Washington's adversaries in the world's deadliest ongoing war, namely Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.
The United States announced on Sunday it was withdrawing its entire force of 1,000 troops from northern Syria. Its former Kurdish allies immediately forged a new alliance with Assad's government, inviting the army into towns across their territory.
(Production: Mert Ozkan, Tara Oakes) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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