US Does Not Want to See Military Operations in Northwest Syria 

A Türkiye-backed Syrian fighter sits at a position on the outskirts of the town of Marea, in the northern Aleppo countryside, along the frontline with areas held by the SDF, on December 6, 2022. (AFP)
A Türkiye-backed Syrian fighter sits at a position on the outskirts of the town of Marea, in the northern Aleppo countryside, along the frontline with areas held by the SDF, on December 6, 2022. (AFP)
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US Does Not Want to See Military Operations in Northwest Syria 

A Türkiye-backed Syrian fighter sits at a position on the outskirts of the town of Marea, in the northern Aleppo countryside, along the frontline with areas held by the SDF, on December 6, 2022. (AFP)
A Türkiye-backed Syrian fighter sits at a position on the outskirts of the town of Marea, in the northern Aleppo countryside, along the frontline with areas held by the SDF, on December 6, 2022. (AFP)

The United States does not want Türkiye to pursue military attacks in northwest Syria, even if it recognizes Türkiye’s right to defend itself, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. 

Türkiye has ramped up its shelling and air strikes on northern Syria in recent weeks and has said it is preparing for a possible ground invasion against Syrian Kurdish fighters that it dubs terrorists but who make up the bulk of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

"We don't want to see military operations conducted in northwest Syria that are going to put civilians at greater risk than they already are, put in peril our troops and our personnel in Syria, or our counter ISIS mission," Kirby told reporters. 

The SDF, which helped defeat ISIS in Syria, said on Friday it had stopped all joint counterterrorism operations with the United States and other allies as a result of Turkish bombardment on its area of control. 

The US military has confirmed the pause in operations. 

The SDF has long warned that fighting off a new Turkish incursion would divert resources from protecting a prison holding ISIS fighters or fighting ISIS sleeper cells still waging hit-and-run attacks in Syria. 

The Turkish bombardment, using both long-range weapons and air strikes, has frustrated its NATO ally Washington. 

The United States recognizes that Türkiye has a right to defend itself, especially against terrorism, Kirby said. 

"We recognize the threat that the Turkish people are under, but we don't believe that ... this idea of military operations in northwest Syria is the best way to get at that threat," he said. 



Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
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Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country.

The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed.

The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group.

"We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement, AFP reported.

The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added.

Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack -- the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.

It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges.

Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.