Syrian Forces Advance Towards Kurdish Territories

Syrian forces have invaded northern cities after a coordinated withdrawal by Kurdish fighters, but clashes have erupted as the military continued its advance towards areas controlled by the Kurds. For several days, Syrian troops had been amassing around a number of villages located slightly west of the winding flow of the Euphrates River, calling on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to redistribute their forces to the opposite bank of the river.

Last night, SDF commander Mazlum Abdi announced that his forces would withdraw early this morning as an act of goodwill, leaving the river as a frontline between Syrian government troops in the west and Kurdish forces in the east. However, today clashes broke out in several towns and oil fields, as both the SDF and the Syrian army accused each other of violating the agreement, while Kurdish authorities stated that Syrian troops had entered towns not included in the withdrawal agreement.