SDF Hands Over 2 Small Towns in Northern Syria to Damascus Forces

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Syrian Army soldiers entered 2 small but key towns in Northern Aleppo on Thursday night after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pulled gunmen out of the towns.

News ID: 74475

Date: 21 December 2018 - 17:48

The army men entered the towns of Harbal and Um Vohoush in Northern Aleppo after the SDF withdrew from the towns.

The towns are located South of the town of Mare'a, which is controlled by Ankara-backed militants, including the Free Army.

Meanwhile, al-Arabi al-Jadid news website reported that the SDF militia have held several rounds of meetings with the Syrian Army commanders and concluded an agreement to hand over some of the SDF-held regions to the Damascus forces.

In the meantime, local sources reported that Turkish troops and its militant allied are on alert to kick off a major operation against the Kurdistan's People Protection Units (YPG) in Northern Syria, while the US forces, the main supporter of the Kurdish militia in Syria, is withdrawing from the country.

A militant-affiliated website reported last month that Arab tribes in Hasaka province in Northeastern Syria demanded the Syrian Army to deploy its guards at border with Turkey after the Ankara forces' threats to launch an imminent large-scale operation against the Kurds on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Zaman al-Wasl reported that the Kurdish militias try to hold different meetings with Arab tribes in Hasaka, Raqqa and Aleppo provinces to persuade them to join them in battle against the Turkish troops.

It further said that the Kurds had several meetings with Arab tribes in al-Safir region in the town of Ra'as al-Ein in Northwestern Hasaka, adding that all tribal elites called on the SDF to hand over border control to the Damascus force to deter a Turkish invasion.

In the meantime, local sources in Hasaka province pointed to the Kurdish concerns about the Turkish troops' operation, and said that the Kurds transferred prisoners and detainees from their Alaya jail in the town of Qamishli in Northeastern Hasaka to their central jail in Hasaka city.

The sources further said that the Kurds turned residential units in al-Mahtah and al-Abrah neighborhoods in Ra'as al-Ein in Western Hasaka to military bases, adding that differences were also increasing among the Kurdish militias in Northern Syria after the SDF arrested one of its commanders on charges of cooperation with the Ankara-backed Free Army.

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