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 al-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 ISIS four years ago and holds powerful symbolism for Syrian Kurds and their ambitions of self-rule.
The convoys of government forces drove into Kobani after dark, a resident said.
The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, was one of the few remaining amid fears of a Turkish attack on the town.
Syria's presence in Kobani puts a firm limit on Turkish ambitions in its offensive. The town lies between a Turkish-controlled enclave farther west and smaller areas to the east that Turkey seized in the past week.
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.
The battle for Kobani turned the once-nondescript town into a centerpiece of the international campaign against ISIS, with TV cameras flocking to the Turkish side of the border to track the plumes of smoke rising from explosions in the besieged town. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-dems-trump-syria-white-house-meeting-storm-out
The seizure of Kobani by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-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 ISIS four years ago and holds powerful symbolism for Syrian Kurds and their ambitions of self-rule.
The convoys of government forces drove into Kobani after dark, a resident said.
The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, was one of the few remaining amid fears of a Turkish attack on the town.
Syria's presence in Kobani puts a firm limit on Turkish ambitions in its offensive. The town lies between a Turkish-controlled enclave farther west and smaller areas to the east that Turkey seized in the past week.
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.
The battle for Kobani turned the once-nondescript town into a centerpiece of the international campaign against ISIS, with TV cameras flocking to the Turkish side of the border to track the plumes of smoke rising from explosions in the besieged town. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-dems-trump-syria-white-house-meeting-storm-out
