MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/: Syrian servicemen have occupied two former US bases in Manbij (85 km away from Aleppo), that had been established two years ago to patrol Syria’s northern areas. Newspaper Al Watan reported on Wednesday that the issue concerns bases in Dadat and Umm Miyal.
The army units reinforced their positions along the line of contact with the Turkish army and the armed opposition groups along the Sajur River west of Manbij, according to the newspaper. The newspaper reported that militants’ attacks have fully stopped by now.
The Syrian army convoy that set off from Manbij to the border city of Kobani (150 km away from Aleppo) stopped near the Kara-Kozak Bridge, 20 km southwest of Jarabulus. This bridge is under control of the US army, that is withdrawing its forces stationed in Kobani’s bases. The US servicemen requested additional time to end the evacuation from this city.
Al Watan reported that another American convoy set off to Kobani from the town of al-Tabqah on the Euphrates River and approached its outskirts along the Raqqa-Ayn Issa highway. A source in the Kurdish People's Protection Units said that several days may be needed for the Syrian army to take Kobani under control. A group of American servicemen arrived to this border city on Tuesday from a base in Tell Beydar (Al-Hasakah Governorate) to provide logistic support for the deployment of US military contingents and its allies in the anti-terrorist coalition to the territory of neighboring Iraq.
SANA news agency reported that the Syrian army entered three communities on the outskirts of the town of Tell Tamer in the northwest of the al-Hasakah Governorate. Their residents welcomed the Syrian soldiers and raised national flags over the villages.
On October 9, Turkey declared the start of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, which started with the air force’s strikes on Kurdish positions. The goal of the operation is to create a buffer zone there, which will become a protective belt along the Turkish border. The Syrian refugees will be able to return there from Turkey, according to Ankara’s plans. Syrian state news agency SANA called the operation aggression, and the global community denounced Ankara’s actions. On Sunday, Damascus sent its army to the north of Syria upon coordination with the Kurds to offer resistance to the Turkish army.
