Russian forces have moved into Raqqa in northeast Syria to fill a void left behind by the withdrawal of the U.S. Special Forces from the area. The movement comes following an agreement with the local Syrian Democratic Forces.
The deployment is the latest example of pro-Syrian government forces moving into key areas of Syria’s northeast, which the SDF backed by the U.S.-led Coalition against ISIS captured from the group starting in 2015.
Turkey launched its own military operation, dubbed Operation Peace Spring, across Syria’s northeastern border against the YPG in October, which resulted in American forces pulling back.
The Assad government, which is backed by Russia in Syria’s eight-year civil war, accuses the SDF and its affiliated governance structure of separatism. The claims have however been denied with SDF allowing SAA troops into the region to help deter further the Turkish incursion.
