The United States has provided the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) operating in Syria man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) within the framework of the secret agreement, media reported.
The Al-Masdar News media outlet reported Monday citing own sources that the US had provided the MANPADS to the Kurds earlier in the month under the agreement between Washington and the YPG. According to the news outlet, the MANPADS have been delivered to the Kurds in the northwestern part of Syria near the town of Afrin.
On Saturday, the Defense Post news website published an article, in which the spokesman of the US-led coalition fighting against the Daesh terrorist group said that the coalition was engaged in training of a 30,000-strong force on the territory within Syria currently controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia to maintain security in controlled area along the Syrian border.
The reports about the new US initiative have arisen against the backdrop of a statement made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday. According to Erdogan, the Turkish army may launch an operation in the northwestern Syrian regions of Manbij and Afrin controlled by the Kurdish militias within a week. The Turkish leader also expressed hope that Washington would back Ankara’s efforts.