SDF resumes joint ops with the US in Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday it had resumed joint patrols with the US-led coalition forces in Syria which were paused due to Turkish bombardment of its area of control, Reuters reported.

The SDF had said on Friday that all joint operations had been paused due to the bombardment - a move confirmed by the coalition.

Simand Ali, an SDF spokesperson, told Reuters that joint patrols and training exercises with the coalition had resumed at the weekend after a decrease in Turkish strikes, with four joint patrols carried out on Saturday and Sunday.

"At the moment, the atmosphere is semi-positive and allows us to undertake joint operations, but we don't know how long these operations will be possible," given the possibility of a ground invasion, he said.

Following the explosion that hit Istanbul’s historic Istiklal Avenue on November 13, Turkey has launched an aerial bombardment into Northern Syria, targeting People’s Protection Units (YPG), which forms the backbone of the SDF.

Since the launching of the airstrikes on Nov.19, Turkish officials including President Recep Tayyip frequently say that the aerial operation will be followed by a land offensive. Erdogan said Turkish military will carry out a ground offensive when “convenient”.