Rejecting Türkiye’s reaction, the Pentagon said the ceasefire between Ankara and the SDF forces remains in effect – Vietnam.vn

Earlier this month, Washington brokered a ceasefire between Türkiye and the US-backed SDF after rebel groups advanced on Damascus and toppled the government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“The ceasefire continues to be in effect in northern Syria,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.

However, on 19/12, an official Department of Defense Türkiye again asserted that there were no negotiations on a ceasefire agreement between Ankara and the SDF.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Syrian Kurds, are a key ally in the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) militants in the Middle Eastern country.

The force is led by the YPG militia, which Ankara views as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a banned group that has been at war with the Turkish state for 40 years.

Türkiye considers these forces to be terrorist organizations.

The US currently has about 2.000 troops deployed in Syria, working with the SDF to combat IS and prevent the risk of its resurgence.

Previously, in 2014, IS occupied large areas of territory in Iraq and Syria, but was then completely pushed back.