Syrian civil war: regime forces come to Kurds' aid against Turkey in Afrin

Entry of Syrian government-allied Shia forces into new front in country's northwest raises spectre of wider escalation
The Independent
Bethan McKernan Beirut Tuesday 20 February 2018

Pro-Syrian government forces have entered the contested canton of Afrin to help Kurdish forces defend against a Turkish offensive - a further escalation in Syria’s already complex civil war.
Footage broadcast by Hezbollah and Syrian regime-allied outlets showed convoys of tanks carrying Syrian flags and soldiers brandishing weapons entering the northwestern part of the country from Aleppo on Tuesday. Syrian state media reported they had been targeted by Turkish shellfire. The new forces are mostly believed to be made up of the Shia Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU).

In January the US pledged continued support for the YPG and SDF to ensure the jihadi militants do not form a resurgent movement, a strategy which enraged Turkey. The entry of forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad into the new theatre raises the spectre of a wider escalation.

Despite international calls to halt the offensive, President Erdogan has remained bullish, repeatedly threatening that his forces could extend their offensive as far east as Manbij – which could bring them into direct conflict with the US-backed SDF coalition and stationed US troops.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-assad-regime-afrin-kurdish-kurds-turkey-ypg-militia-a8219651.html


Holy Crap this has all the makings of a major power war. Do we support Turkey, Kurds or Russia or Syria or Iran or Israel? Meanwhile IQ 45 is worried about election maps in Pennsylvania.