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Turkey’s state news agency exposes US positions in Syria

A Turkish state news agency revealed US troops' positions in Syria in what US officials see as further Turkish hostility over the US alliance with the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units.
Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) stand near U.S military vehicles in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria April 29, 2017. Picture taken April 29, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTS14IHP

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency has revealed what it claims to be the locations of 10 US military bases in the Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria, a move that will likely put a further dent in the rocky relationship between the two NATO allies.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} US officials told Al-Monitor that they had conveyed their concerns about the disclosure of sensitive information to Turkish authorities.

Anadolu dropped its bombshell complete with maps pinpointing the locations of US special forces in Kobani, Manbij and Rumeilan, among others, via its Turkish-language service this week. The story was picked up by local newspapers but generated remarkably little fuss considering the sensitive nature of its content. The report included the numbers of US troops in several locations and the presence of French forces as well who are working with the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to combat the Islamic State.

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