HASAKA, Syrian Kurdistan,— Syrian Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) thwarted an attack launched by Islamic State (IS) militants on Monday south of Hasaka city of Syrian Kurdistan, killing 38 jihadi militants.

The YPG announced, in a statement from the group’s media center on Tuesday, IS militants launched a wide range assault on the bases of Kurdish fighters in the village of Azawy in al-Shaddadi, south of the city of Hasaka.

Nine YPG fighters were killed in the clashes, according to the YPG statement.

Kurdish fighters have destroyed three IS car bombs before reaching their lines and have made advances by capturing two villages in the area.

The statement said the Turkish army resumed on Monday attacks on Kurdish forces in the north of Syria using “heavy weapons.”

The United States and Russia hailed a breakthrough deal last Saturday to put Syria’s peace process back on track, including a nationwide truce effective from sundown on Monday, improved humanitarian aid access and joint military targeting of banned Islamist groups.

The deal followed talks that stretched late into Friday night and several failed attempts to hammer out a deal over the past two weeks. The announcement on Friday was delayed as Kerry and U.S. negotiators consulted with officials in Washington.

The YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced their commitment to a U.S.-Russian agreement to bring about a ceasefire in Syria on Monday.

The YPG, which controls Syrian Kurdistan, the swathes of Kurdish northern Syria, said in a statement it hoped the agreement would allow efforts to focus on the fight against Islamic State and to prepare the necessary conditions for a political transition.

Syrian Kurds have established three autonomous zones, or Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish government across Syrian Kurdistan (northern Syria) in 2013. On March 17, 2016 Syria’s Kurds declared a federal region in Syrian Kurdistan.

Washington regards the Kurdish YPG as key ally against Islamic State and the most effective fighting force against IS in Syria and has provided them with air support as well as the military advisers. The Kurdish militia has seized swathes of Syria from Islamic State.

Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, nrttv.com | Reuters | Ekurd.net

Comments

Comments