There is tension in Syria between America and Turkey, which equally benefited from the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Actually, Turkey attacked the US-backed Syrian group Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), due to which America is angry. Türkiye is attacking SDF fighters in Manbij city and northern Syria. Earlier this week, the SDF shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone after mistaking it for a Turkish drone, US officials said. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Arabiya English, ‘We will see what happens in the next 48 hours. But if this happens again, we will not tolerate it again. There have been disputes in the past between America and Türkiye regarding targeting of SDF fighters. In December 2022, Bill Burns, director of the US intelligence agency CIA, reportedly warned his Turkish counterpart that Turkish airstrikes in Syria were posing a threat to the US military. Related news In October 2023, an American F-16 fighter jet shot down a Turkish drone. The drone had entered the US-restricted border, less than half a kilometer away from American troops. America has been repeatedly warning Turkey not to fly its drones near its military bases. Turkey remains angry with American support to SDF. Like Turkey, America has declared Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as a terrorist group, but America does not consider SDF as a terrorist group. America has been continuously supporting the SDF, due to which Türkiye remains angry with it. The SDF has been a vital ally in the US fight against ISIS. The SDF, along with about 900 American soldiers in Syria, has been conducting raids against ISIS targets and terrorists for many years. America considers its partnership with SDF important. General Eric Kurilla, the top US official for the Middle East, visited several bases in Syria on Tuesday, meeting with US troops and SDF personnel. He later traveled to Iraq, where he reiterated America’s commitment to defeating ISIS and to the security of its allies in the region, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. Attacks on SDF positions inside Syria have become a cause for concern for American officials. In view of this, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Turkey this week. Since the fall of Assad, attacks by America, Turkey and Israel are continuing from Syria. Shortly after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the US military launched its biggest attack on ISIS in years. A big attack has been made. The US attacked more than 75 ISIS targets using B-52 bombers, F-15 and A-10. Türkiye and Israel are also taking rapid action in Syria to serve their interests. Israel has bombed large parts of Syria, including weapons manufacturing facilities, Syrian jets, naval assets and chemical weapons sites. Following the attack on ISIS targets on 8 December, US official General Kurilla said that ‘There should be no doubt that the US will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the situation in Syria. He said, ‘All organizations in Syria should know that if they partner with or support ISIS in any way, we will hold them accountable.’
