- Title: Syrian rebels advance into areas left by Kurdish forces
- Date: 24th October 2019
- Summary: NEAR TEL ABYAD, SYRIA (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) CONVOY OF TURKEY-BACKED SYRIAN REBELS IN A STREET ARMED REBELS IN THE BACK OF A PICK-UP TRUCK REBEL FORCES STANDING, HOLDING WEAPONS VARIOUS OF REBELS IN THE BACK OF THE PICK-UP TRUCKS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) REBEL FIGHTER, ABDUL QADER, SAYING: "We are now clearing the villages from which terrorist PKK fighters have withdrawn. God willing, we will clear these villages and liberate them in order to turn them into a safe zone to facilitate the return of refugees and civilians to their homes." VARIOUS OF FORCES, MILITARY VEHICLES FIGHTERS HOLDING UP WEAPONS FIGHTERS SITTING AGAINST A SAND BERM FIGHTER STANDING NEAR THE BERM VARIOUS OF MILITARY VEHICLES, TANKS DRIVING THROUGH THE STREETS FIGHTERS WALKING, FIGHTER SEEN INSIDE TANK FIGHTER, SAID TO BE WOUNDED IN A MINE EXPLOSION, BEING CARRIED AWAY FIGHTER SITTING ON THE GROUND VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS IN THE BACK OF AN AMBULANCE VARIOUS OF A TANK VARIOUS OF PICK UP TRUCKS DRIVING FIGHTERS, TANKS IN THE STREET FIGHTERS GATHERED AROUND A MAP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) REBEL FIGHTER, MOHAMMED KABSO, SAYING: "To us, this recent agreement doesn't concern us, our greatest enemy is still the regime. We will continue and these safe zones will not have regime forces. We will advance until we beat the (regime)." FIGHTER GETTING OUT OF MILITARY VEHICLE VARIOUS OF MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) REBEL FIGHTER, ABU SULEIMAN, SAYING: "With regards to the safe zone, we want one that is free of the regime. When we first took part in this revolution, we protested the regime and injustice. The regime is the one who killed us and killed our families. We are definitely against the regime, completely, absolutely." FIGHTERS NEAR A TANK VARIOUS OF TANKS DRIVING THROUGH STREET, FIELDS
- Embargoed: 7th November 2019 16:16
- Keywords: Syria Turkey troops rebel forces Kurdish forces
- Location: NEAR TEL ABYAD, SYRIA
- City: NEAR TEL ABYAD, SYRIA
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2GIURR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Turkish-backed rebels continued their advance on Thursday (October 24) into areas left by Kurdish forces, which they say will later be used as "safe zones" for Syrian refugees.
Syrian Kurdish militants withdrew from Tel Abyad under a truce brokered by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence last week.
The deal, which expired on Tuesday, was limited to the central part of the border strip between the Syrian towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain, where Turkish forces had focused their military offensive.
Ankara sealed another deal with Moscow on Tuesday under which Syrian and Russian forces are deploying in northeast Syria to remove Kurdish YPG fighters and their weapons from the border with Turkey.
Speaking to Reuters near Tel Abyad, rebel forces said they opposed the presence of Syrian government forces in the "safe zone", adding that they still consider the government to be their "greatest enemy."
(Production: Mahmoud Hasano, Khalil Ashawi, Omer Berberoglu, Bushra Shakhshir, Muath Freij) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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