A CIA-armed, Syrian rebel group claims to have seized two towns from another Pentagon-sponsored rebel group, The Long War Journal reports.

The CIA funded rebel assault was aided on the ground by the Turkish military, which is a NATO and US ally in the fight against the Islamic State. The fighting between the two groups represents the vast array of ethnic tensions inside Syria, outside of the U.S. Anti-ISIS effort.

The Pentagon backed rebels who held the town are largely comprised of Kurdish militias, who are the most capable battlefield force against ISIS. The U.S. regards these militias so highly, nearly 300 special operations forces accompany them on the battlefield. Turkey however regards these Kurdish militias as threats to its own security interests. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated he regards Kurds as a big a threat to Turkey as ISIS.

Pentagon Spokesman Peter Cook told The New York Times “we want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable.” Cook signaled that the U.S. would likely take no action, continuing “This is an already crowded battle space. Accordingly, we are calling on all armed actors to stand down immediately and take appropriate measures to deconflict.”

President Barack Obama has sharply tailored U.S. policy in Syria to defeating ISIS. Obama’s critics charge that such a policy ignores the vast array of intersecting interests in Syria, which ISIS and other jihadi groups exploit to maintain safe haven. The U.S. refuses to support rebels that are fighting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who is supported by Iran and Russia.

The U.S. unwillingness to fund rebels who are only focused on ISIS, has made it difficult to find reliable partners inside Syria. Many rebels who fight ISIS to regain territory, also see the Assad regime as its primary ally. The regime, and its Russian and Iranian sponsors, are responsible for the vast majority of civilian deaths inside Syria.

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