Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey as he declares ‘permanent’ ceasefire with the Kurds

President Trump announced on Wednesday that he would be lifting sanctions placed on Turkey over their military offensive against U.S.-partnered Kurdish forces in Northern Syria, following the establishment of what he called a “permanent ceasefire” between the two groups. The president went on to declare that, despite receiving harsh criticism from officials on both sides […]

US forces bombed their own base in Syria to keep Turkey from getting to their ammo

Shortly after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. troops out of Northern Syria, a pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles carried out an airstrike against the LaFarge Cement Factory base in the region, which had served as a joint U.S. Special Operations and Syrian Democratic Forces installation since it was liberated from ISIS control […]

The Pic of the Day: US Special Forces in Syria

Members of 5th Special Forces Group (A) conducting 50. Cal Weapons training during counter-ISIS operations at Al Tanf Garrison in southern Syria. Surrounded by desert, the Al Tanf base is located near the Iraq-Syria border. It has been used by U.S. Special Operations Forces as a training site for anti-ISIS forces. Its location has made […]

Watch: Russian mercenaries take control of abandoned US camp in Syria

Videos surfaced on Twitter in the past week that appear to show Russian mercenaries contracted to the Syrian government via the paramilitary Wagner Group assuming control of an abandoned American installation in Northern Syria. American troops left the base willingly after President Trump issued an order to withdraw from the region, providing Turkey with the […]

‘We abandoned our Kurdish partners.” SOF General who defeated ISIS speaks out

President Donald Trump saw harsh criticism from leaders on both sides of the political aisle earlier this week when he gave the order to remove U.S. troops from a number of “safe zones” in Northern Syria, opening up Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces to attack from the Turkish military. The president has made a number of […]

Turkey attacks compound of elite US-led Kurdish counterterrorism unit

A compound that houses elements of the elite Kurdish Yekineyen Anti-Terror (YAT) unit was bombed by Turkish forces in the early stages of the invasion of Northern Syria. YAT is a counterterrorism unit created and trained to hunt down Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists. U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are training, advising, and operating with the […]

Independent Kurdistan: It pays to pick a winner

There is a lot of talk in the media and among military and political leaders these days about the Kurds and their fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. This author wrote of the option of going to fight ISIS with the Kurds, and one of SOFREP’s own traveled to the region, and has documented his […]

WATCH: American YPG volunteer describes joining up with the Kurdish militia

Ever wonder how people join up with groups such as the YPG? A former Marine and volunteer with the Kurdish YPG militia answers questions about how it is done. In this Q&A he even talks about how the food is, ranging from nothing but bread to quality rations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD-JlhESPg4

Jihadis who killed 4 Americans in Syria captured. What happens now?

According to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a number of jihadis involved in the killing of four Americans in Syria in January have been captured. On January 16, a suicide bomber detonated in an urban restaurant in the Syrian city of Manbij, where the Americans were attending a meeting with local dignitaries. The blast killed Chief […]

No, the US isn’t abandoning the Kurds in Syria

“The Kurds have no friend but the mountains,” as the old saying goes. Yet there are few mountains in Northern Syria, where the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) formed a coalition with Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The […]

Proxy warfare: The strategic dilemma of relying on proxy counterterrorism forces

Proxy warfare isn’t a new concept. It has been used since ancient times. More recently, the British used it quite successfully during the Dhofar War in Oman in the early 1970s. Special Air Service (SAS) operators trained, advised, and, perhaps, accompanied Yemeni dissenters in cross-border operations deep inside Yemen. Another example—this time of active proxy […]

Last of ISIS forces cornered in Syria, coalition’s final assault underway

The Islamic State’s (ISIS) reign of terror is about to end. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), primarily comprised of Kurdish forces, have cornered the last remnants of the terrorist organization in a small enclave. Baghouz, which is situated close to the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, is the last remnant of territory under the […]