Group Of Trucks Enters Syria From Iraq To Evacuate US Servicemen - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2019) A group of trucks crossed on Sunday the Iraqi-Syrian border to evacuate US troops from the northern part of Syria, media reports said.

On October 13, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the United States would pull out an approximate 1,000 troops from the northern part of Syria after the start of the Turkish offensive.

According to the SANA news agency, the group of transport trucks, accompanied by military vehicles, is heading for the Syrian city of Qamishli to complete the evacuation of US bases from Syria.

Ankara launched the Operation Peace Spring on October 9, saying that the military action aimed to create a safe zone near the Syrian-Turkish border after multiple fruitless discussions between Turkey and the US. The territory on the Syrian side of the border is currently controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which used to be a US ally but regarded by Ankara as affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, banned in Turkey). The Trump administration was criticized in the United States over the decision to leave its ally without protection.

On Thursday, the United States and Turkey said it agreed to suspend Turkey's military operation in northeastern Syria for 120 hours and withdraw Kurdish forces from the 30-kilometer (18 miles) buffer zone on the Turkish-Syrian border, which Ankara intends to control independently. Despite the ceasefire, there were reports of continued fighting.