US provides military training for YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria: Sources

By Esref Musa, and Omer Koparan

AL-HASAKAH / TAL ABYAD, Syria (AA) – US forces continue providing military training to YPG/PKK terrorists in the Al-Hasakah province of northeastern Syria, according to local sources.

US Special Forces are providing armed training to 240 YPG/PKK terrorists in the area of the city of Al-Malikiyah, close to the Turkish-Iraqi border, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity over security concerns.

In the training, in which many US-made Bradley armored fighting vehicles were used, the terrorists were taught about the use of light and medium weapons.

US helicopters also did reconnaissance flights in the training area on Tuesday.

Türkiye has long objected to the US – its NATO ally – providing weapons and training to the terrorist YPG/PKK. While the US says it is allied with the group in order to fight terror group Daesh/ISIS, Türkiye says using one terrorist group to fight another makes no sense.

- Previous training for terrorists

The US and France, which are part of the coalition against the terror group Daesh/ISIS, have previously supported YPG/PKK terrorists in Al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor, east of the Euphrates River, with armed training and various exercises.

In Al-Hasakah, the Mount Abdulaziz and Sports Complex areas besides some US bases and the Omar Oil Field area in Deir ez-Zor have become training areas.

In previous training, the terrorists were taught about using weapons, ways of capturing positions determined by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the ground, mortar attacks, artillery fire, airborne landings, and preventing attacks on bases.

At the sports complex in Al-Hasakah, which serves as a landing area for US helicopters, YPG/PKK terrorists are also given practical airborne training.

The French soldiers, acting under the auspices of the US in Syria, gave artillery fire training to YPG/PKK terrorists.

Hence, the US and the coalition forces it leads have provided armed training to thousands of YPG/PKK terrorists since 2015.

Also, last December and this February, US troops did joint armed exercises with YPG/PKK terrorists in the desert.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.