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Islamic State supporters escape in Syria as US pulls back

Posted at 11:09 AM, Oct 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-13 11:09:13-04

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — Hundreds of Islamic State supporters escaped from a displaced-persons camp in northern Syria on Sunday amid heavy clashes between invading Turkish-led forces and Kurdish fighters, and President Donald Trump ordered all U.S. troops to withdraw farther south to avoid getting caught in the fighting.

The twin developments reflected growing chaos in Syria, where the Turkish offensive has raised fears it will destabilize the region, create another refugee crisis and allow the battered Islamic State group to make a comeback.

A U.S. military official said that the situation across northeastern Syria was “deteriorating rapidly” and that American forces were cut off from the Kurdish fighters they had previously been allied with.

The official, who was not authorized to disclose operational details and spoke on condition of anonymity, said U.S. troops on the ground are at risk of being “isolated” and cannot travel overland without a “high risk” of confrontation with Turkey-backed forces.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the approximately 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria are not leaving the country entirely but are trying to avoid becoming embroiled in the conflict.

“In the last 24 hours, we learned that they (the Turks) likely intend to expand their attack further south than originally planned — and to the west,” he added.

The danger to American forces was shown on Friday, when a small number of U.S. troops fell under Turkish artillery fire at an observation post in the north. No Americans were hurt. Esper called that an example of “indiscriminate fire” coming close to Americans, adding it was unclear whether that was an accident.

Trump, in a tweet, said: “Very smart not to be involved in the intense fighting along the Turkish Border, for a change. Those that mistakenly got us into the Middle East Wars are still pushing to fight. They have no idea what a bad decision they have made.”

The heavy fighting Sunday reached the displaced-persons camp in Ein Eissa, some 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of the border, which is home to some 12,000 people, including 1,000 wives and widows of Islamic State fighters and their children.

The Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria said in a statement that 950 IS supporters escaped after attacking guards and storming the gates. It was not immediately possible to confirm that figure.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkish warplanes struck villages near the camp, and camp residents fled amid clashes between the two sides. The organization did not provide an exact number.

Jelal Ayaf, a senior official at the camp, told local media that 859 people escaped from the section housing foreigners. He said that a few were recaptured but that supporters inside the other section of the camp also escaped and were carrying out attacks. He described the situation as “very volatile.”

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were a key U.S. ally in the war against the Islamic State and drove the extremists from most of the territory they once held in northeastern Syria. The force swept up thousands of Islamic State fighters and their family members in the campaign and has warned it may not be able to maintain its various detention centers as it struggles to repel the Turkish advance.

NATO member Turkey views the Kurdish fighters as terrorists because of their links to the insurgency inside Turkey, and it has vowed to carve out a “safe zone” along the border. It launched the operation last week after Trump moved U.S. forces aside, saying he was committed to getting out of America’s “endless” wars.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday ruled out any mediation in the dispute, saying Turkey won’t negotiate with “terrorists.”

The United Nations says more than 130,000 Syrians have fled since the operation began five days ago, including many who had taken refuge from previous rounds of fighting in the country’s eight-year civil war.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry tweeted that its forces had taken control of the main highway running between Hassakeh, a major town and logistics hub, and Ein Eissa, the administrative center of the Kurdish-held areas.

Heavy fighting was also underway in the town of Suluk, northeast of Ein Eissa. Turkey’s official news agency said Syrian fighters allied with Ankara had captured the town, while Kurdish officials said they were still battling to hold onto it.

Turkey said 440 Kurdish fighters have been killed since the operation began Wednesday. The SDF said 56 of its fighters have died. Turkey also said four of its soldiers were killed, including two in northwest Syria, along with 16 allied Syrian fighters.

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El Deeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Zeynep Bilginsoy in Istanbul contributed.