2,000 members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reportedly reinforced the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YGP) fighting the Turkish Army and the Free Syrian Army in the area of Afrin.
The YPG is a core of the US-backed group. So, in a major part of cases, the SDF is just used as a PR brand to cover the US support to the YPG in eastern Syria.
According to reprots in the Russian media, the SDF column consisting of 2,000 fighters, moved from the city of Manbij through the government-held area towards Afrin on March 11.
There were also reports about the second column consisting of US-linked private military contractors branded as “the SDF”, which were also willing to “help” Afrin. However, the Syrian Army did not allow this very column to reach the YPG-held area.
The YPG has repeatedly rejected Damascus proposals to reach a wide-scale reconciliation agreement, which would return Afrin under the formal government control and to integrate local YPG members into Syrian security. However, all proposals have been rejected by the YPG. This has put the group into a very complicated situation because it cannot stop the Turkish advance itself. MORE DETAILS
