Issued on: Modified:
Although the USA and Turkey have agreed on Thursday to a cease-fire in the Turks' deadly attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, shelling and gunfire were heard around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, by the Turkish border, on Friday.
Advertising
Read more
Associated Press journalists reported seeing continued fighting in this Syrian town at the centre of the fight between Turkey and Kurdish forces, which have also been reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. "There are sporadic artillery strikes and you can hear shooting in the town of Ras al-Ain," said Rami Abdul Rahman, its head.
Reuters reports machine-gun firing and shelling could be heard and smoke rose from one part of the Syrian town.
Hours earlier, the deal was nevertheless praised by US President Donald Trump, who said it was "a great day for civilization" and that it would save "millions of lives", while Turkey cast it as a complete victory
The truce was announced some 13 hours earlier by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey agreed to the five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led SDF militia withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture.
Humanitarian costs
If implemented, the deal would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9: Control of a strip of Syria more than 30km deep, with the SDF forces obliged to pull out. The latter were US allies in the years' long fight against Islamic State.
Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State group militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara.
It was unclear what if any damage came from the shelling heard on Friday.
Kurds say will refuse to live under Turkish occuRead More – Source
