The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

About 23 days after the statement of the US president, the US Forces carry out the first withdrawal from Syria from a military base in Al-Hasakah

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the US Forces carried out their first withdrawal of the Syrian territory yesterday evening, Thursday, the 10th of January 2018, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: about 10 armored vehicles in addition to engineering machines have withdrawn yesterday evening from the US base in al-Rmelan area of ​​al-Hasaka province, within the framework of the first implementation of the decision issued by the US President Donald Trump on the 19th of December 2018, where the Syrian Observatory published on that day that senior US officials informed senior leaders of the Syria Democratic Forces that; the US command intends to withdraw its forces from the entire area of east Euphrates and Manbij, which cause a great shock among SDF command, as this contradicts what is happening on the ground, where the reinforcements reached during the last 48 hours to the east of Euphrates area of fuel, military equipment, logistics, and mechanisms, also military reinforcements arrived to the military bases in Manbij and al-Omar oilfield, and the Kurdish Command considered that the withdrawal of US forces -if happened- as a stab in the back of the Syria Democratic Forces and YPG, who over the past months and years controlled the largest geographical area that used to be under the control of the “Islamic State” organization, which is the east of Euphrates area along with Manbij area, and a betrayal of the blood of thousands of fighters who were killed fighting the “Islamic State” Organization and their opponents.

This decision to withdraw from the east of Euphrates comes in conjunction with an increased state of alert among the Turkish Forces, on the border between the Tigris and Euphrates and near Manbij, as the end of ISIS enclave east of Euphrates River gets closer, after the arrival of large military reinforcements of SDF fighters from the Syrian north, Manbij area, and other areas at the east of Euphrates, also the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the rebel and Islamic factions operating under the command of Turkey, which are part of the “Olive Branch” and “Euphrates Shield” Operations, continue their preparations for the military operation Turkey is seeking to carry out east of Euphrates area along the border between the rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, where thousands of fighters are preparing to participate in the operation under the command and orders of the Turks, and the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received from reliable and intersected sources, that a state of alertness and military movements is taking places at the border side from the Turkish side and from the east of Euphrates, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: areas of east of Euphrates are witnessing a state of alert by the Syria Democratic Forces and YPG, along with military movements at the Turkish side in the light of the Turkish military threats of carrying out operation that targets east of Euphrates; supported by the opposition rebel and Islamic factions of “Olive Branch” and “Euphrates Shield” Operations, these movements come after a Turkish military mobilization in addition to mobilization by the Syria Democratic Forces on the borderline, in anticipation of any surprise attack.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 4th of January 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of anticipation in Manbij area, for the situations to be completely stable in it, after the simultaneous withdrawal of forces of conflict, where reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the US Forces continue to run military patrols in Manbij area, while the regime forces continue to spread along the contact lines west of Manbij, between areas of control of Jaysh al-Thowwar and Manbij Military Council, and between the Turkish Forces and the rebel and Islamic factions loyal to them, amid continuous flight for warplanes of the International Coalition over Manbij area, and sometimes the pro-Turkey fighters of the “Euphrates Shield” Operation shoot on areas of presence of the forces controlling Manbij,

This anticipation comes after the withdrawal of the pro-Turkish forces for hundreds of members, pulling the regime forces for their members from the northern outskirts of Manbij, and the withdrawal of tens of opposition members of the Syria Democratic Forces, while the Syrian Observatory monitored yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored cross-fire with medium and heavy machineguns between Turkish-backed factions on one hand, and Manbij Military Council which operates under the banner of the Syria Democratic Forces on the other, in the areas of Arab Hassan and Al-Mohsenli in the countryside of Manbij city in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo, without information about human losses, in a scene that became usual and repeated recently, while the Syrian Observatory published today morning, Thursday, that it monitored a cautious calm in Manbij area and its vicinity, at the northeastern sector of Aleppo Province in the west of Euphrates River, this continued calm comes after the simultaneous withdrawal of hundreds of pro-Turkish fighters and tens of Syria Democratic Forces fighters away of Manbij, where reliable sources confirmed that after the withdrawal the area witnessed a cautious calm between the Turkish Forces and factions loyal to them, and between the forces of the Manbij Military Council and Jaysh al-Thowwar, amid cautious anticipation of the field developments in the coming days, while the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources that fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces withdrew from Manbij area towards the east of Euphrates River area, and in details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: about 250 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces in Manbij city and its villages have withdrawn on board of vehicles to the eastern side of Euphrates River, while hundreds of fighters of Manbij Military Council, Jaysh al-Thowwar, and other factions of the Syria Democratic Forces are still in the area with security forces, and it is not known whether this withdrawal came within the framework of the Russian – Turkish consensus or not, while this withdrawal followed the withdrawal of hundreds of fighters from the pro-Turkey factions to areas in the vicinity of Manbij  countryside area, after they were withdrawn from  areas of their presence in the vicinity of the clash fronts and then transferred to barracks In the area.

The Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources on the developments in Manbij area and the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the pro-Turkish the rebel and Islamic factions withdrew all the members they brought from areas of “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” in the Syrian north, which is extending from the west of Euphrates to the borders of Iskenderun, and the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that withdrawing the support that recently came to the vicinity of Manbij area; took place through transferring fighters to barracks in the vicinity of Manbij countryside in the northeastern sector of Aleppo countryside, where they were secured in barracks which are schools converted to military headquarters of the al-Jaysh al-Watani (The National Army) loyal to Turkey and supported by it, while reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the situation on the contact lines between the Turkish Forces and the factions loyal to them; and between the forces of Manbij Military Council and Jaysh al-Thowwar, have returned to what they used to be before the announcement of alert by Turkey to launch a military operation against Manbij area.

Reliable Egyptian sources and reliable sources of the Syria Democratic Forces denied the information published in Arab and regional media, about an Egyptian-Gulf role in the east of Euphrates crisis and, and the threats in the area of a Turkish military operation that has been talked about for weeks, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: reliable Egyptian sources and reliable sources from the Syria Democratic Forces confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that what was published in the Qatari and Turkish media -quoting Israeli media- is completely false, and that there are no steps towards what the media mentioned, as the media reported that Egyptian officers and other Emiratis officers have visited Manbij city and conducted a reconnaissance tour in the area; in a prelude to deploying Egyptian-Emirati forces in the area with an American air cover, replacing the US Forces, for whom the US President issued on the 19th of December 2018 the decision to withdraw them from the area, and that the presence of these forces will pave the way for a wider Arab military presence in terms of the presence of other Gulf countries, such as the Saudi Arabia, to confront the Iranian presence.