Pentagon worried about resurgence of Daesh in Syria following US withdrawal
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) worries that
a US withdrawal from northern Syria would lead to a resurgence of Daesh in the
country, particularly if the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) abandon a number of
prisons holding thousands of Daesh fighters across the region to battle Turkey.
The Pentagon's remarks come after US troops pulled
out from three observation points in the towns of Ras al Ayn, Tal Abyad and
B'er Ashiq in northern Syria, the US-based Alhurra TV channel reported on
Monday.
In a related context, a senior Turkish official said
it is likely that Ankara awaits the withdrawal of US troops from areas along
Turkey's border to begin its offensive against Kurdish fighters.
On Sunday evening, the White House announced that
Turkey will soon move forward with its long-planned military operation there to
create what it calls a “safe zone,” adding US forces would not support or be
involved in it.
