Activists: U.S. military killed pair in attack in Syria

In a suicide attack on forces of the U.S.-led coalition against the jihadists militia Islamic state (IS) in Syria's Manbij, according to the activists, an American military officer, eight civilians and five members of local security forces have been killed. The attack was directed against a Restaurant, said the Syrian Observatory for human rights on Wednesday. The coalition confirmed the death of U.S. military personnel. The IS-militia took the attack on its Propaganda mouthpiece for Amaq.

The town of Manbij had been conquered in the year 2016 of the Kurdish people's defense units (YPG) with the support of the international Anti-IS coalition from the jihadists. Since then, it is controlled by the Syrian Kurdish militia and allied Arab militias. US soldiers and French special forces are stationed in the city to the West of the Euphrates river, the last was largely quiet. The city is a Central point of contention between Turkey and the United States.

call for help of the Kurds

The government in Ankara penetrates for a long time on the withdrawal of the YPG, which they considered due to their close Links to the Kurdistan workers ' party (PKK) as a terrorist organization. After threats with an Offensive Turkey agreed last July, with the United States that the YPG-pull fighters out of the city and the Turkish and U.S. soldiers patrolling there.

However, defendant Ankara that the YPG is more present in the city, and in December, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again threatened with an Offensive on Manbij. After US President, Donald Trump had announced that all U.S. troops from Syria to deduct, seemed to be the way for a Turkish attack. The YPG called on, therefore, at the end of December, the troops of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to help. (nlu/sda)

Created: 16.01.2019, 15:18 PM