YPG

On May 17, a combined Special Operations raid killed two regional Islamic State leaders in eastern Syria. The assault force was comprised of a U.S. Special Operations element and a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) partner force. In a press release, Operation Inherent Resolve identified the two ISIS leaders as Ahmad ‘Isa Ismail al-Zawi, AKA Abu […]

The Russian investigative newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, has identified a Russian Wagner Group contractor as the man responsible for the torture and beheading of a Syrian national back in 2017.  The newspaper named the alleged torturer as Stanislav Yevgenyevich Dychko. He had been hired as a reconnaissance gunner by the Russian government-linked Wagner mercenary company. However, […]

Tensions continue to rise in Syria as all the warring parties jockey for advantage. And a number of recent events demonstrate the fragility of the situation. Yesterday, the Turkish military in Idlib broke up a protest along the all-important M4 highway on Monday after members of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a militia group, and civilians […]

American troops stationed in eastern Syria have the difficult and dangerous job of guarding the very oil-rich Kurdish-held land. And everyone — the Syrian government, the Russians, the Turks, and ISIS — wants to control it.  The area is developing into a very dangerous place for the American troops: They’ve come under attack from a […]

The tenuous ceasefire in Syria that was signed by Turkey and Russia is in danger of falling apart as various factions are maneuvering forces for what seems an inevitable resumption of hostilities in northern Syria.  The Syrian army of President Assad is intent on pushing the rebel forces out of their last stronghold in Idlib […]

A U.S. and SDF soldier exit their vehicles to speak with locals during a patrol in northeast Syria Jan. 30, 2020. Coalition Forces continue to work with their partners to maintain stability and security in the region. We remain committed to increasing security in northeast Syria, to enable humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and stability operations. Terrorist […]

An already tense situation has escalated into a deadly tit-for-tat violent struggle in northwest Syria. The Syrian government troops of President Assad have attacked Turkish troops killing six in an artillery barrage in Idlib. The Turkish military responded with strikes of their own, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reported that they hit over 40 Syrian […]

The presence of a small, but strategically important, Special Operations base inside Syria might be in jeopardy after Congress raised concerns about its security. Last week, Congress requested the Department of Defence (DoD) and the Director of National Intelligence Retired Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, a former Navy SEAL, to assess the threat level of the […]

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 […]

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has promised that his country would cease its cooperation with the United States if no progress is made on the creation of a safe zone in Syria’s northeast. In a recent phone call with his American counterpart Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Akar reiterated the longstanding request made by Turkey that […]

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

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 […]