ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Joint patrols by the US-led coalition and Kurdish forces continued on Wednesday in northeastern Syria (Rojava) amid renewed Turkish military escalation in the area.
The Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve confirmed in a tweet that joint patrols with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the Islamic State (ISIS) continue.
#Coalition forces and @cmoc_sdf continue conducting combined security patrols in NE Syria. We remain committed to supporting our #SDF partners and the people of NE Syria in their efforts to build a safe and secure region, free of ISIS influence. #AdviseAssistEnable pic.twitter.com/5ZtXU6tGT8
— Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) December 7, 2022
Regular patrols resumed on Friday after being reduced following an increase in Turkish airstrikes on Rojava.
Turkey launched its latest aerial campaign dubbed Operation Claw-Sword targeting Kurdish positions in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region on November 20. The operation has led to a barrage of dozens of drones and airstrikes targeting the SDF, which presents a danger to US personnel as they maintain a presence in the proximity of the area. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that a ground operation would take place “soon.”
US officials have repeatedly called for de-escalation as it would be detrimental to the efforts underway to combat the terror group.
Hundreds of US troops are stationed in northern Syria as part of their fight alongside the SDF against ISIS.
UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that joint patrols continued intense security operations in Deir ez-Zor, adding that in November, around 30 people were arrested for having suspected ties to ISIS.
ISIS seized control of vast swathes of Syrian land in 2014 but was declared territorially defeated in 2019 after forces of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) overran its last bastion in Baghouz.
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