Syria: Syrian rebels mobilise for possible Turkish attack on Kurdish YPG fighters
Syrian rebels say they are standing by to join a new offensive threatened by Turkey against Kurdish YPG fighters in northern Syria, as Ankara eyes another campaign against a group it views as a threat to national security.
Turkey has mounted three offensives into Syria since 2016 against the YPG, which Ankara deems an enemy due to its close links to a Kurdish group that has been fighting an insurgency in Turkey for decades.
Tensions have spiked since two Turkish policemen were killed a month ago in a missile attack in northern Syria that Turkey said was carried out by the YPG. President Tayyip Erdogan said the attack was “the final straw”, though Ankara has given no indication an operation is imminent.
Rebel sources say Turkey recently sent military supplies to its Syrian allies as part of preparations for possible action, and rebel fighters have been redeployed towards areas that are expected to be targeted in any new attack.