Pentagon Affirms Intelligence Coordination with SDF in Syria

A US Air Force B-1B Lancer and crew, being deployed to launch strikes as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons, is seen in this image released from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar on April 14, 2018. US Air Force/Handout via Reuters
A US Air Force B-1B Lancer and crew, being deployed to launch strikes as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons, is seen in this image released from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar on April 14, 2018. US Air Force/Handout via Reuters
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Pentagon Affirms Intelligence Coordination with SDF in Syria

A US Air Force B-1B Lancer and crew, being deployed to launch strikes as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons, is seen in this image released from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar on April 14, 2018. US Air Force/Handout via Reuters
A US Air Force B-1B Lancer and crew, being deployed to launch strikes as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons, is seen in this image released from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar on April 14, 2018. US Air Force/Handout via Reuters

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that US troops were coordinating with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from an intelligence perspective to pursue ISIS militants in Syria.

“We work with our SDF partners on the ground to go after ISIS. And they are strong fighters in that regard,” Kirby said.

His comments came after the New York Times published a story about March 2019 airstrikes in Syria, revealing the presence of intelligence coordination between the US and SDF forces.

The newspaper also said that several international organizations have revealed that the Kurdish-led group mistreated local people, particularly the Arabs in eastern Syria.

Kirby said Washington coordinates with the SDF because it knows the terrain.

“They know the area. They certainly do support the counter ISIS effort from an intelligence perspective,” he said at a press briefing held on Monday.

However, the Pentagon Press Secretary refused to comment on the accusations that the group might have exploited the US military power and carried out certain violations.

“We are always mindful of our obligations when we're dealing with partner forces, about the rule of law and about responsible use of military power and going after a common threat like ISIS. And that's an ongoing concern. It's an iterative process. It’s something that we stress to partners throughout the conduct of any military operation,” Kirby said.

He added that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has asked General McKenzie to brief him more specifically on the airstrikes carried out in March 2019.



Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Strike on Hospital Kills 7

Damage at the Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza, pictured on December 29 - AFP
Damage at the Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza, pictured on December 29 - AFP
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Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Strike on Hospital Kills 7

Damage at the Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza, pictured on December 29 - AFP
Damage at the Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza, pictured on December 29 - AFP

Gaza's civil defense agency said an airstrike hit a hospital Sunday, killing at least seven people, while Israel said it had targeted militants at the no longer functioning facility.

"Seven martyrs and several injured people, including critical cases, have been recovered following the Israeli strike on the upper floor of Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza City," a civil defense agency statement said.

Israel's military said it had carried out a "precise strike" targeting members of Hamas's aerial defense unit operating from a "command and control center in a building that served in the past as the Al-Wafaa hospital".

The health ministry in Gaza said the hospital was still in use.

"The Al-Wafaa Hospital is partially operational, providing care to patients with physical disabilities," the ministry's director general, Munir al-Barsh, told AFP.

"The hospital had been rehabilitated and was getting ready to receive patients. Had it not been targeted by Israeli shelling today, it would have been ready to fully reopen in the next few days," he said.

The strike on Al-Wafaa Hospital came a day after the military ended a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, an assault the World Health Organization reported left the facility empty of patients and staff.

The military also detained the hospital's chief, Hossam Abu Safiyeh, saying he was suspected of being a Hamas militant.

Since October 6, Israel's operations in the Palestinian territory have focused on northern Gaza, where it says its land and air offensive aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

However, the military has also carried out airstrikes and shelling in other areas of Gaza as it presses on with its campaign against the militants.