Syria:

US Continues Arms, Heavy Vehicle Shipments to SDF

Rasa - The US continues to supply the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with armored vehicles and heavy weapons in Syria, the SDF Spokesman said.

News ID: 434947

Date: 24 November 2017 - 22:54

RNA - "The US sent us 120 armored cars and weapons, including submachine guns, howitzers, mortars from Northern Iraq, then fetched to Hasaka city in Northeastern Syria, and from there they were taken to Eastern Deir Ezzur,” the SDF spokesman told Sputnik Turkey.

In addition to weapons, the spokesman said that the SDF received a large number of Hummer armored vehicles.

“This time, in addition to weapons, a large number of Hummer armored vehicles were delivered as we are experiencing a significant need for them,” the spokesman said.

According to previous reports, since the decision was made to provide military assistance to the SDF, the US has supplied them with a total of 1,900 trucks full of heavy weapons and armaments.

Earlier Hussam Shueib, a Syrian expert in militant groups commented to the Sputnik news, saying that ISIL and other similar armed units are being defeated on all  fronts while the Syrian government army is steadily advancing, so the US now needs a new tool for its military operations.

"Washington is now supporting the SDF as it is almost its last ally in Northern Syria. First, they have close connections with the Kurds. Second, they pose themselves as a secular organization and oppose the Syrian government.  And third, they are able to take control of the Northern part of the country and break up Syria," Shueib explained.

He also pointed out that the SDF have proven that they can take ISIL's place, for example, in Raqqa. Therefore the US is not creating a positive image of SDF through its mass media, claiming that it is quite a numerous force which has "genuine representatives of the Syrian peoples in its ranks."

The SDF, however, are not being welcomed either by Syrians or by the Syrian Kurds. Nevertheless, the US is pinning its hopes on these forces, expecting them to be able to fight against the Syrian army and its allies, he concluded.

Relevant reports said last month that many analysts wondered about the Kurds' refusal to reveal any details over the scale of US support to the SDF and the number of military facilities the US set up in Northern Syria.

The US continues to arm the Syrian Kurds, even after the announced retaking of Raqqa from ISIL.

Nuri Mahmud, an official representative of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the primary component of the US-backed SDF force which conducted Raqqa operation, confirmed that the US was supplying them with arms since the liberation of Kobani in 2015.

Mahmud, however, refused to reveal the scale of the arms provided by the US, only noting that it was relatively humble and not enough in comparison with the weaponry it supplied to the Iraqi army for the liberation of Mosul.

The Kurdish official called their relationship with Washington a "strategic alliance" and confirmed that the US was setting up military bases on territories which the Kurds took under control.

According to Nuri Mahmud, these facilities were used for the fight against ISIL. However, he refused to give the exact number of operating US bases.

"We can't discuss this issue. It is none of our business," he said.

Abdulaziz Yunus, the SDF representative in charge of foreign affairs, also confirmed that the US continues supplying arms to SDF, and remains the only power which was supporting Kurds militarily.

The Kurdish official, however, as well as Nuri Mahmud, refused to reveal the amount of weaponry they received.

"The US is supplying us with ammunition based on our demands. Apart from coalition forces, no one else supports us with weaponry. We won't disclose the exact volume of the provided arms but hope that the deliveries will increase as it will enable us to liberate other regions from terrorists," he explained.

Abdulaziz Yunus stressed that the interests of SDF coincide with those of the US, and that they would continue their cooperation. Washington had supported the Free Syrian Army, but this didn't yield any results. That is why, after the liberation of Kobani, the US decided to support them and was satisfied with this arrangement, he concluded.

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