US-led coalition trains SDF to keep liberated areas

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON

The anti-Daesh coalition is assisting "Northern Syrian Defense Forces" -- the YPG/PKK terror group which uses the name SDF -- to keep the liberated territory under control after the military operations in Syria, a French official said Tuesday.

Speaking at a press briefing via teleconference, French Brig. Gen. Frederic Parisot, the director of the civil-military operations of the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve coalition, told reporters at the Pentagon that the aim is to prevent remaining Daesh terrorists for coming back as a combat force.

"And to do this, on one side we train the Iraqi security forces who are actually doing a very good job there and on the other side we train the Northern Syrian Defense Force that actually as well doing a good job," Parisot stated.

When asked by Anadolu Agency what the Northern Syrian Defense Forces stands for and whether the training includes border security, Parisot described it as the SDF and said there are no border forces in the training.

"They are going to have what we call ‘security forces’,” Parisot said. "Obviously it is the same on the Iraqi side as they need to consolidate the gains they had on the military side after the military operations."

Some coalition members have supported the PYD/YPG under the name of SDF -- a group considered by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization.

The PKK has fought a 33-year war against Turkey that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

In response to another question about the area the Daesh terror group holds in Syria, he told that the group has approximately 190 square miles, including a few cities, where roughly several hundred Daesh terrorists remain.

"It is quite small [area]. There are few cities in there but of the line is quite open. We hope that the last combat against Daesh will go pretty quickly," he added.

Turning to a question whether France will allow French nationals who joined Daesh to come back to the country, Parisot cited his government, saying the French government does not want them back.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to this report from Pentagon