Kurds plead with US to stop Turks flouting ceasefire

US officials criticise Ankara amid renewed fighting and evidence of human rights abuses by Syrian rebels

KURDISH forces yesterday accused Turkish-backed fighters of violating the ceasefire in northeast Syria with a “vast” new ground offensive and pleaded with the US “to intervene immediately” to stop the assault. Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump boasted of establishing a “permanent” peaceful settlement in the area, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they were under assault from Turkishbacked Syrian rebels.

“The SDF… holds the Turkish side responsible for the deterioration of the ceasefire process and calls on the American guarantor to intervene immediately to stop this aggression against our people,” a spokesman said.

Turkey said five of its soldiers were injured when Kurdish forces attacked near the border town of Ras al-ain with mortars and drones. A car bomb also exploded in the Turkish-controlled town of Tal Abyad, wounding several people.

The renewed fighting undercut Mr Trump’s claim of “a major breakthrough” in north-east Syria and raised questions about his decision to retract sanctions on Turkey because it had halted its offensive.

While Mr Trump said the US had “a very good relationship” with Turkey, several of his senior officials lashed out in frustration at Ankara.

“Turkey put us all in a very terrible situation,” said Mark Esper, the US defence secretary, calling the Turkish military operation in Syria an “unwarranted

invasion”. Mr Trump’s special envoy for Syria went further, saying the US had seen evidence of war crimes committed by Turkish-backed rebels,

‘The SDF... calls on the American guarantor to intervene immediately to stop this aggression’

and had demanded an explanation from Ankara. “We’ve seen several incidents which we consider war crimes,” James Jeffrey, special representative for Syria, told a House of Representatives hearing. The Syrian rebels, known as the National Army, have been accused of human rights abuses since the first days of the Turkish offensive.

Footage has circulated in the last two weeks of Syrian rebels fighting alongside the Turkish military executing civilians at the side of the road, including Hevrin Khalaf, a Kurdish politician. The National Army said it was investigating the allegations.

In recent days, footage has appeared which seems to show rebels mutilating the corpse of a female Kurdish fighter. The SDF appeared to be complying with the terms of a Russian-turkish agreement and were withdrawing their forces 20 miles from the border, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, said his forces would “crush” Kurdish fighters if they did not fully withdraw. A bipartisan group of senators yesterday further provoked Turkey’s wrath by requesting a fast-track visa for Gen Mazloum Kobani, commander of the SDF.

The group asked Mr Trump to invite him to Washington to brief them on “the situation in northern Syria”.