SDF demands a Russian mediation to agree with Al-Asad

Shafaq News/ The Syrian Democratic Forces asked the Russian representatives for help to reach an agreement with the Syrian Government.

The Russian News Agency, Novosti, quoted the spokesman for Syrian Democratic Forces, Aram Hanna, saying the agreement aims to "protect the lands they control in the northeast of Syria.

"We have continuous important meetings with the Russian side. As a result, Russia made efforts to reduce and prevent aggression," Hanna said.

From the beginning of the war in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the Syrian Government.

Moscow sent military troops to Syria and repeatedly cast a Veto on condemning the Syrian operations.

In turn, Turkey began a "payback" for the terrorist attack in Istanbul by launching a military operation against SDF.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, said the goal is to establish a "security line to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq."

While the SDF has been the go-to on-the-ground US partner against ISIS in Syria, Erdogan views them as an arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey (and the US) consider a terrorist group.

Pentagon said that Turkish airstrikes in Syria "directly threatened" US troops working with the SDF to combat IS in Syria. But at the same time, SDF blames the US for "not taking a firm position" over the Turkish bombing.

Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces told reporters that Ankara is now preparing for a ground offensive after nearly a week of Turkish airstrikes on northern Syria. He said Turkey-backed opposition fighters are getting ready to participate in the operations.

Abdi added that Turkish strikes over the past week had caused severe damage to the region's infrastructure.

Abdi said they stopped combatting the terrorist organization due to the Turkish attacks that "target civilians and want to occupy their land."