Cease-fire extended between US-backed PKK/YPG terror group and Syrian National Army in Manbij, US says
A member of the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in Syria. (AFP Photo)
The United States announced Tuesday that it had brokered an extension of a cease-fire between the Syrian National Army and the PKK/YPG terror group-led, U.S.-backed SDF in the flashpoint town of Manbij and was seeking a broader understanding with Ankara.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that the Manbij truce, which had expired, “is extended through the end of the week, and we will, obviously, look to see that cease-fire extended as far as possible into the future.”
Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after Syrian opposition groups seized control of Damascus.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities across the country in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
Meanwhile, U.S. has long partnered with the PKK/YPG terrror group-led SDF in the fight against Daesh, but this partnership has strained relations with Türkiye, which considers the YPG, the SDF’s main component, a terrorist group. Following Assad’s fall, there have been ongoing clashes between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.
