Uprooted Palestinian: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM – سلام القدس عليكم: DAMASCUS GOVERNMENT RREACHED AGREEMENT WITH YPG OVER AFRIN AREA

Thursday 15 February 2018

DAMASCUS GOVERNMENT RREACHED AGREEMENT WITH YPG OVER AFRIN AREA – AL-MAYADIN TV

YPG fighters

The Damascus government and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have reached an agreement that will allow the Syrian Army (SAA) to deploy its units inside the Afrin area, the Lebanese al-Mayadin TV reported on February 15. The report said that the agreement had been reached after a long negotiation between the two sides.

Syria’s Deputy-Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said during a press conference on February 14 that the SAA will defend Afrin. An anonymous Syrian official told al-Mayadeen on February 15 that Mekdad’s statement will be fulfilled soon.

Sîpan Hemo, YPG’s General Commander, revealed during an interview on February 12 that “there is a great deal of coordination between YPG fighters and the SAA” and said that the YPG will welcome any reinforcement from the SAA.

The Al-Mayadeen report is yet to be confirmed by any Syrian or Kurdish official.

The Lebanese TV channel reported that the Damascus government and the YPG had reached an agreement regarding the Afrin area on January 24. However, Kurdish officials quickly denied this report back then.

Over the last two days, the Turkish Army and its proxies from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have expanded their control around several strategic areas west of Afrin. The rapid advance of the Turkish Army may have forced the YPG to reconsider the Damascus government offers to deploy the SAA in Afrin.

Syria’s deputy FM calls on Kurds, Arabs in Afrin to unite against Turkey

By Hasan Khat

15/02/2018

Syria’s deputy foreign minister called on Kurds and Arabs in Afrin to unite against Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch.

“Afrin is an integral party of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Deputy Minister Fayssal Mikdad said on Wednesday, state-run SANA reported.

“We affirm that the Syrian Arab Army defends every inch of the Syrian territory and Syria will return as unified as it has been throughout history,” he added, with respect to Afrin.

Damascus is working to combat Turkey’s offensive on Syrian territory, he said.

A few days after Turkey launched its Operation Olive Branch on the Kurdish canton, Afrin authorities called on Damascus to fulfill its “duty” and protect its borders.

The regime in Damascus has condemned Turkey’s operation as a violation of its sovereignty.

Syria’s air defence system forced an Israeli reconnaissance plane out of its territory Wednesday night, according to SANA. The incident occurred just days after an Israeli jet crashed during operations in Syria after an Iranian drone reportedly entered Israel’s airspace from Syria.

Mikdad said their forces “will down any jet that launches an assault on Syria and that is not a mere threat.”