US denies reports of Syrian regime incursion in Manbij

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON (AA) - A U.S. defense official on Friday denied the reports Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime forces entered Manbij.

Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported earlier in the day, regime forces entered the PYD/YPG terrorist-held city after the group invited forces to take control of the region and ward off an announced Turkish operation. Turkey sees the group an extension of PKK terrorist organization.

"The reports on regime incursion in Manbij are inaccurate," the official told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled a cross-border operation against the terror group in Syria will happen soon. Since 2016, Ankara has carried out two similar military operations in northern Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week made the surprise announcement that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Syria.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to the story