US supplies terrorist PKK/PYD with military equipment

By Mohamad Misto

HASAKAH, Syria (AA) - The U.S. has continued to supply the PKK/PYD terrorist group with military assistance, sending 70 truckloads of arms to PKK/PYD elements currently based in Syria's northern Raqqah province.

On Sunday, 70 trucks bearing military equipment -- including 21 vehicles -- entered the PKK/PYD-held province from Iraq via the Semalka border crossing, according to Anadolu Agency correspondents based in the area.

In the periods from Aug. 13 to 17 and Aug. 21 to Sept. 3, Anadolu Agency correspondents saw a total of 330 trucks cross from Iraq into the PKK/PYD-held city of Hasakah, regional capital of Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province.

Since the trucks were heavily covered, however, it remains unclear exactly what kind of equipment they were carrying.

On the pretext that the PKK/PYD is fighting the Daesh terrorist group in northern Syria, the U.S. has supplied PKK/PYD elements with a total of 1,021 truckloads of military equipment since June 1, according to correspondents on the ground.

This figure, correspondents say, includes 60 truckloads of equipment on June 5; 20 truckloads on June 12; 50 truckloads on June 16; 120 from June 21 to 26; 82 on July 5; 102 on July 9; 95 on June 13; 100 on July 17; 100 on July 22; 80 on July 27; 100 on July 31; and 112 on Aug. 7.

According to the Pentagon, recent military assistance to armed groups in Syria (including the PKK/PYD) has included 12,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles; 6,000 light machine guns; 3,500 heavy machine guns; 3,000 RPG-7s; 1,000 anti-tank weapons (Swedish AT-4s and Russian SPG-9s); 235 mortar guns of various calibers; and 100 long-range sniper rifles.

In early June, the PKK/PYD -- backed by the U.S. -- began wide-ranging military operations in Raqqah.

And on Saturday, the terrorist group launched a fresh campaign aimed at capturing Syria’s Daesh-held city of Deir ez-Zor, located some 450 kilometers northeast of Damascus.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara