SOHR: More US pressure could avoid negative impact of Turkish offensive
In the 109th month of International Coalition operations in Syria, around 15 ISIS commanders and members have been arrested and killed in joint security operations with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Raids, arrests and various security operations are being carried out against ISIS cells in many regions. As military operations against Islamic State in Syria, conducted in partnership between the International Coalition and the SDF, enter their 109th month, military reinforcements continue to be sent to areas held by the SDF.
More military conflicts expected
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that a total of 150 coalition trucks and vehicles carrying military and logistical supplies crossed into Syria from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in September and October. The reinforcement is also a result of growing tensions between the International Coalition and Iranian-backed militias. It is reported that further military confrontations are expected.
According to the SOHR, Iranian-backed militias began attacking US-led International Coalition bases on Syrian territory on 19 October as part of the “‘revenge campaign for Gaza'”. In response, International Coalition drones bombed Iranian-backed militia positions. SOHR said that as tensions escalated, International Coalition forces went on high alert at the Al-Tanaf base in the 55 kilometer deconfliction zone near the Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian borders. Similarly, Coalition forces placed their troops at their bases in Deir ez-Zor on high alert and increased their combat readiness. The International Coalition has also conducted numerous military exercises.
US should put more pressure on Turkey
The SOHR also stressed that the negative impact of the Turkish military offensive on civilians could have been avoided, if US Presidents had applied enough pressure on Turkish authorities to stop a new humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands and killing and injuring hundreds. In addition, it stressed that the oil and gas resources controlled by the International Coalition belong solely to the Syrian people, warning: “Therefore, all the concerned parties are obliged under international laws and norms to preserve these resources and ensure that they will not be stolen or seized in any way; these resources do not belong to the “regime”, “Iran” or any other party; they belong only to the people of Syria, who have been suffering the brutalities of an ongoing war for over ten years. SOHR also warns of the repercussions of exploiting these sources, seizing them, or depriving the Syrians of their rights to resources.”