A US-backed militia group in Syria has issued a warning that a new Turkish military intervention in the country could derail the fight against ISIS and cause a fresh humanitarian crisis.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week said an operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces, a majority force which helped to topple ISIS in Syria with western air support, was imminent.
Previous operations against the Syrian-Kurdish group — there have been four since 2016 — have forced small units of US advisers to pull back from Kurdish positions as Turkish air and artillery strikes rained down on the militias.
The warning from the SDF comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said a new incursion by Turkish forces could unravel fragile gains in the area.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi called on all sides to "prevent any new tragedies and support de-escalation", warning that an assault would fuel yet more displacement in Syria's 11-year conflict.
Turkey has vowed to launch a new offensive against the Kurdish YPG militia, the spearhead of the SDF, which controls swathes of territory at the border with Syria.
While Turkey views the Kurdish-led forces as terrorists and a national security threat, the US regards the SDF as an ally that has helped drive ISIS from vast areas of Syria.
Washington, whose support for the SDF has long been a point of tension in ties with its Nato ally Turkey, has expressed concern, saying any new offensive would put at risk US troops — which have a presence in Syria — and undermine regional stability.
On a visit to the Turkish town of Hatay near the Syrian border on Thursday, the American ambassador to the United Nations reiterated US opposition to any military action.
"We have engaged with the Turkish government," Linda Thomas Greenfield said. "We have indicated our opposition to any decision to take military action on the Syrian side of the border. We think that nothing should be done to break the ceasefire lines that have already been established."
Any such action, she said, would not only increase suffering but also the number of displaced people, including some who might try to cross the border into Turkey.
Erdogan threat
President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said Turkey would rid northern Syria's Tal Rifaat and Manbij areas of terrorists, confirming the targets of the new advance for the first time. He said the assault would continue into other regions.
There has been a surge in violence near the border in recent days but sources on both sides say they have not seen serious military movements.
The SDF-aligned Manbij Military Council said one of its fighters was killed on Thursday while repelling an attempted infiltration by Turkey-backed fighters.
Two of the attacking forces were killed, Sharfan Darwish, its representative, told Reuters in a voice recording.
There was no immediate comment from Turkey-backed groups in the area and Reuters could not independently confirm the incident.
A Turkey-backed Syrian rebel force, the National Army, said the SDF had stepped up shelling of its areas.
Maj Youssef Hammoud, its representative, told Reuters: "We are responding from our positions and Turkish bases in the area are shelling YPG positions."
On Wednesday, three civilians and a fighter were killed in a rocket attack on Tel Abyad, a border town seized by Turkish forces and their Syrian allies in an incursion in 2019, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war.
The rebel National Army said the SDF was responsible for the Tel Abyad shelling.
The Observatory said the rockets were fired from areas where both SDF and Syrian government forces operate. An SDF representative could not immediately be reached for comment.
Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency since 1984 in which more than 40,000 people have been killed.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
EGYPT SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million