Northern Syria:

US Beefs up Military Presence in Kurdish-Held Manbij

TEHRAN (defapress)- The US military has started increasing its presence in Manbij region in Northeastern Aleppo that is under the Kurdish fighters' control amid reports on the Turkish army plan to carry out an imminent operation in the region, sources from the local population said on Wednesday.

News ID: 69531

Date: 04 April 2018 - 12:44

The sources said that the US military has reportedly established the second new base in Manbij region that is held by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

"(One) base will be located eight kilometers away from Sajour River, which forms the frontline between Jarabulus, the Euphrates Shield area, and Manbij," local sources said, adding that the other base is being built four km away from the frontline, South of Dadat.

Other sources disclosed on Tuesday that the US army has set up a new military base in Manbij region.

The sources said that the coalition established a new military base in al-Awn region North of the town of Manbij along the regions occupied by the Turkey-led Euphrates Shield forces.

The sources went on to say that the US and French forces that recently arrived in Manbij were expected to deploy in the new base.

They added that US and French forces dispatched a sum of 300 soldiers and a large number of armored vehicles and heavy military equipment to a region in Northern Aleppo between Manbij and territories controlled by the Euphrates Shield forces.

In the meantime, the US troops embarked on patrolling in a region between the Kurdish-held regions and the regions occupied by the Euphrates Shield forces near Sajour River and along Syria's border with Turkey.

The development comes after the French president announced a hike in the number of French forces deployed in Northern Syria after his Turkish counterpart threatened to occupy the Kurd-held Manbij.