Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops entered the northeastern Syrian city of Kobani, a stronghold of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), late Wednesday ending days of speculation about the city’s future.
A military agreement between the SDF and Syrian regime that was announced earlier in the week that would see the SAA and Russian forces occupy key cities along the Syria-Turkey border in a bid to halt a Turkey-backed rebel advance.
The troops have been traveling by bus and are expected to hold position and prevent a further Turkish incursion into Syria and against the Kurds. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels under the banner of the Syrian National Army began Operation Peace Spring on October 9 to clear the SDF from northeastern Syria.
The SAA asserted control over Manbij, another critical city, on Tuesday but has since withdrawn from the city, leaving the SDF-aligned Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria in control of civilian and political structures.
Kobani, which lies to the east of the Euphrates river, is where Kurds in 2015 halted a bloody six-month Islamic State onslaught with the help of U.S. airstrikes.
