The Greek Courier
Syrian Democratic Forces fighters have repelled Turkish ground forces along the border, according to comments of SDF spokesperson Mustafa Bali on Twitter. “Ground attack by Turkish forces has been repelled by SDF fighters in Til Abyad. No advance as of now," he tweeted. Bali's announcement comes after the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed earlier on Twitter that the Turkish Armed Forces and the Syrian National Army had "launched the land operation into the east of the Euphrates river as part of the Operation Peace Spring.”
Syrian Democratic Forces says prison holding ISIS detainees hit in Turkish airstrike
A prison holding ISIS detainees was hit in a Turkish airstrike, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said today. “One of the prisons that ISIS detainees held in was struck by Turkish airstrike. Turkey is aiming to undermine all successful efforts and achievements that we gained during our fighting against #ISIS," the group tweeted.
According to a senior US defense official who spoke to CNN, the Turkish offensive has already had a "detrimental effect" on US-led counter-ISIS operations. The Turkish operation "has challenged our ability to build local security forces, conduct stabilization operations and the Syrian Democratic Forces [ability] to guard over 11,000 dangerous ISIS fighters. We are just watching the second-largest army in NATO attack one of our best counter-terrorism partners,” the source said.
The US military has taken custody of two high profile members of the British ISIS cell known as the "Beatles" as concerns loom over whether the ongoing Turkish offensive could result in ISIS prisoners escaping from undermanned prisons in Syria, according to three US officials.
One of the officials said the transfer was made today.
The second US official said there are plans to bring the two ISIS members, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, to the US for prosecution. The two have been held in northern Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for more than a year.
The State Department accused their ISIS execution cell of "holding captive and beheading approximately two dozen hostages," including James Foley, American journalist Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.
Kotey is accused by the US State Department of having "likely engaged in the group's executions and exceptionally cruel torture" of Western journalists and aid worker hostages.
Elsheikh "was said to have earned a reputation for water-boarding, mock executions, and crucifixions," according to the State Department.
The US effort to take custody has moved in fits and starts in recent months. Complications arose because of British legal issues that could prevent the UK from sharing evidence the US needs to prosecute the men.
Given the fast moving developments in Syria, Attorney General William Barr, in recent days, asked President Trump to make this a priority and the President signed-off.
The Washington Post first reported that the two Beatles members were transferred to US custody.
Two high profile ISIS members are in US custody while concerns linger over Turkey's operation in Syria
From CNN's Evan Perez and Ryan BrowneThe US military has taken custody of two high profile members of the British ISIS cell known as the "Beatles" as concerns loom over whether the ongoing Turkish offensive could result in ISIS prisoners escaping from undermanned prisons in Syria, according to three US officials.
One of the officials said the transfer was made today.
The second US official said there are plans to bring the two ISIS members, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, to the US for prosecution. The two have been held in northern Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for more than a year.
The State Department accused their ISIS execution cell of "holding captive and beheading approximately two dozen hostages," including James Foley, American journalist Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.
What we know about both ISIS members:
Kotey is accused by the US State Department of having "likely engaged in the group's executions and exceptionally cruel torture" of Western journalists and aid worker hostages.
Elsheikh "was said to have earned a reputation for water-boarding, mock executions, and crucifixions," according to the State Department.
The US effort to take custody has moved in fits and starts in recent months. Complications arose because of British legal issues that could prevent the UK from sharing evidence the US needs to prosecute the men.
Given the fast moving developments in Syria, Attorney General William Barr, in recent days, asked President Trump to make this a priority and the President signed-off.
The Washington Post first reported that the two Beatles members were transferred to US custody.
What happened Wednesday? (CNN)
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Turkey launched a military offensive into northeastern Syria on Wednesday, just days after President Donald Trump's administration announced that US troops would leave the border area. As a barrage of airstrikes and artillery fire volleyed into northern Syria, hundreds of civilians fled areas on the border with Turkey, two Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters and witnesses told CNN. Tal Abyad in northern Syria and the border town of Ras al-Ayn were among the areas that were targeted, a US official familiar with operations in the region said.
A Syrian Christian civilian was killed by the Turkish Army in the Syrian town of Qamishli
How did the SDF react?
The SDF reacted with anger and disgust to Trump's withdrawal announcement, saying it would jeopardize regional security and risk the lives of people living in the region. They also vowed to defend the territory they fought so hard to liberate from ISIS. Shervan Darwish, a spokesman for Syria's Manbij Military Council -- which is a coalition of SDF groups -- warned that an offensive would "give a morale boost to ISIS's sleeper sells and will create a vacuum that ISIS will certainly use." The group also wrote that it will hold the United Nations, America, the European Union and Russia responsible "for any humanitarian catastrophe inflicted on our people in northern and eastern Syria." Before the offensive was announced, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (also known as the Kurdish Administration in Northeastern Syria) called up all civilians for a three day "general mobilization" to defend the region against Turkey's military offensive.
The SDF said Wednesday that it had suspended its operations against ISIS in order to focus on the Turkish attack.
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