US troops found themselves under fire from Turkish positions near Kobane town in northern Syria on Friday, a Pentagon spokesman said. According to the US Department of Defense, the incident occurred around 9:00 pm local time, outside the "security zone" that Turkey, near Syria at war, seeks to establish along its border to to separate it from the territories controlled by the Kurdish militia of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it describes as "terrorist".
An "explosion" occurred in "an area where the Turks are informed of the presence of US forces," said captain Brook DeWalt in a statement, saying that the artillery fire did not cause injuries among US soldiers . "The United States remains opposed to the Turkish military intervention in Syria, and is particularly against Turkish operations outside the security zone and in areas where the Turks are informed of the presence of US troops," adds -t it.
Donald Trump blows hot and cold
Washington also calls on Ankara "to avoid any action that may lead to an immediate response" and indicates that its forces "have not withdrawn from Kobane". Turkish forces on Friday intensified their deadly bombings of Kurdish targets in northern Syria, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying the offensive would continue despite US warnings.
After seeming to give the go-ahead to this operation by removing US soldiers from border areas in northern Syria, President Donald Trump blew the hot and cold, threatening to "annihilate" the Turkish economy if Ankara "exceeded terminals".