The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have stopped cooperating with the Washington-led coalition after Turkish bombardments in territories they control in northern Syria, a spokesman for the predominantly-dominated alliance said on Friday (December 2nd). Kurdish supported by the United States.

"All coordination and all joint counter-terrorism operations with the coalition" led by the United States have been stopped, Aram Henna told Reuters, adding that "all joint special operations that were carried out regularly on the ground" were also stopped.

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder previously told reporters that operations against the Islamic State organization were continuing on the ground.

Turkey has intensified its bombardment of the SDF-controlled border region in recent weeks.

Threat of ground attack from Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who regularly promises to carry out a ground offensive against "terrorist" Kurdish forces, has increased his threats since the November 13 attack in Istanbul.

Ankara blames this attack on the Kurdish separatists of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and their Syrian allies of the YPG (People's Protection Units) militias - the main component of the SDF - despite denials from the two organizations.

>> To read also: "Behind the Turkish ground operation against the Kurds, the specter of the return of IS to Syria"

The SDF has already warned on several occasions that committing troops to a new front in the face of a Turkish incursion would come at the expense of monitoring jihadist prison camps under their control or targeting sleeper cells of Islamic State group jihadists, who are still carrying out blitzkriegs in Syria.

The head of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, on Tuesday demanded that Washington be more firm in trying to dissuade Ankara from launching an offensive in Syria.

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app