The PKK's Syrian offshoot the People's Protection Units (YPG) has received a request from the U.S. to deter the Assad regime's advance toward the Daesh-held city of Deir ez-Zor, the Kurdish ARA news outlet reported yesterday.
According to the article, YPG forces on Sunday held a meeting with officials of the U.S.-led coalition and discussed the Assad regime threat near Raqqa. Officials of the U.S. State Department and the commander of the U.S. special forces in northern Syria attended the meeting as well as local YPG officials, including Ilham Ahmed, the joint co-head of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokespersons Jihan Sheikh Ahmed and Talal Silo, and Layla Mustafa, the co-head of the Raqqa Civilian Council, in addition to the two co-chairs of the Tabqa Council, and Idris Mohammed, head of the Internal Security Forces in Raqqa.
The meeting included discussions of the Assad regime's advance on Deir ez-Zor and YPG officials asked the U.S to take measures against the regime forces.
Meanwhile, Salim Muslim, the leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) said that no agreement has been made between the U.S. and the PYD for the post-Daesh period. "U.S. forces are here temporarily, to provide military consultancy," he said.
Saying that the U.S. also reached an agreement for the post-Daesh period, Müslim stated they "have taken measures" against this situation. "We have numerous projects. We don't care who is making agreements with who. We can always protect ourselves," he said.
The PYD controls al-Hasakah in the east, Manbij to the east of Aleppo, Afrin and Tal Rifaat, and is now attacking Raqqa with the support of the U.S.-led coalition.
The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, has waged a separatist insurgency against the Turkish state for more than 30 years, in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. It is also involved in the illicit production, manufacturing and trafficking of drugs.
However, the U.S. considers the PYD's armed YPG militia to be an effective force in the fight against Daesh in Syria, whereas Turkey, a NATO ally, argues that due to the ideological and organizational links between the groups, the U.S.'s support for the YPG is being transferred directly to the PKK to ultimately be used against the Turkish state and its people.
US sustains military aid to PYD/YPG terrorists in Syria
More than 100 trucks carrying U.S. supplies crossed into Syrian territory controlled by the PYD/YPG terror group on Monday night.
The convoy of 112 fuel tankers, covered trucks and low-loaders carrying military Humvees was observed by an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent as it passed through Syria's Hasakah province.
The U.S. announced in May that it would supply arms to the PYD/YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which has waged a 33-year terror campaign against Turkey. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
The PYD/YPG is currently spearheading the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) assault on Raqqa, Daesh's stronghold in Syria.
According to the Pentagon, the U.S. has supplied weapons to several armed groups in Syria, including the PYD/YPG.
These arms include 12,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 6,000 machine guns, 3,500 heavy machine guns, 3,000 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 1,000 anti-tank weapons, 235 mortars, 100 sniper rifles as well as 450 pairs of night vision binoculars and 150 laser illuminators.
Prior to Monday, 909 U.S. trucks had been sent to the PKK/PYD-held region.
The U.S. has pledged to track all weapons sent to the PKK/PYD and share the information with Turkey.
However, Turkey's National Security Council said in June that some weapons sent to Syria had been captured in raids on the PKK in Turkey.
