Syrian forces challenge Turkish military plans
Border town occupied, blocking off path
CEYLANPINAR, Turkey — Syrian forces on Wednesday night rolled into the strategic border town of Kobani, blocking one path for the Turkish military to establish a “safe zone” free of Syrian Kurdish fighters along the frontier as part of its week-old offensive.
The seizure of Kobani by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad also pointed to a dramatic shift in northeastern Syria: The town was where the United States military and Kurdish fighters first united to defeat the Islamic State group four years ago and holds powerful symbolism for Syrian Kurds.
The convoys of government forces drove into Kobani after dark, a resident said. Syria’s state-run media confirmed its troops entered the town.
Syria’s presence in Kobani puts a firm limit on Turkish ambitions in its offensive. Turkey had talked of creating a 19-mile deep “safe zone,” driving out Kurdish fighters from the border region. Turkish forces had shelled Kobani in recent days as part of the offensive but had not advanced ground troops on it.
On Wednesday, the U.S.-led coalition said it had vacated a cement factory south of Kobani, which had served as a coordination center with the Kurdish-led forces. It also said its forces had left Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State group that was liberated in 2017, and Tabqa, a town to the west.
“Coalition forces continue a deliberate withdrawal from northeast Syria,” coalition spokesman Col. Myles Caggins tweeted.
On Monday, Trump imposed limited economic sanctions on Turkey to raise the pressure on Ankara. The move came five days after Trump raised the specter of sanctions in a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he also said that if the Turkish leader invaded Syria he would be remembered as a “devil.” Trump told Erdogan he wouldn’t want to be responsible for “slaughtering thousands of people” and warned, “don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!”